<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Constangreen Collection by AgentMaryMargaretSkitz</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23660524">The Constangreen Collection</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentMaryMargaretSkitz/pseuds/AgentMaryMargaretSkitz'>AgentMaryMargaretSkitz</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adopted Children, Alternate Universe, Angst, Background Avalance, Demons, Dragons, Fluff, Historical Dress, Hurt/Comfort, Lung Cancer, M/M, Moving In Together, Time Travel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:34:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>23,151</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23660524</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentMaryMargaretSkitz/pseuds/AgentMaryMargaretSkitz</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Drabbles and ficlets for one Master/Petty Dabbler of the Dark Arts and a Time Agent/Apprentice that didn't make it to their own fics.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>John Constantine/Gary Green</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. "Stop talking."</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>ethical-hedonistic-apatheist asked: Constingreen + "Stop talking."</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Set around the end of S3....wow this was my first one. It's been so long ago and I'm finally putting them all together (and probably completing dooming them because I'm a cursed person but then again I've probably been cursing them all along...well anyways...)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Stop talking.”</p><p>“Sorry,” Gary squeaked before clapping a hand over his own mouth. </p><p>John shook his head and pulled his boyfriend (?) down into the bushes. Together, they peered through the leaves at the beast on other side. John blinked a few times as he stared at the dragon. This wasn’t supposed to be wandering the earth. It was meant to be locked up behind a barrier of time.</p><p>Gary hadn’t been kidding when he said the Legends had a tendency to “make some bumbles”.</p><p>“Right, I need-”</p><p>Gary passed him the machete.</p><p>“Thanks, love.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos and reviews are always very fun to get notifications for.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. "Are you- okay?"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>somebodyhelpthenotdeadfreds asked: For the 'send a sentence and ship' thing - Constangreen: "Are you - okay?"</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If anyone is a reader of the Possession of Gary Green verse (please maybe give it a read if you like this), this was the fic that technically kicked it all off. I was having a little fun in S4 thinking about Gary being possessed waaaaay before things went down and while I was in a really, really bad place. Anyways, this is not going to be the ending to the verse (I have an angst crown to reclaim), but at one point...it was going to be.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Are you- okay?”</p><p>Gary’s response was to wrap himself tighter in the blanket that had been in the isolation cell. Hours had passed since the exorcism was performed on him and he’d barely said a peep. Ava and Nate had tried to talk to him, and even Mona had given it a shot. The most he’d told them was ‘yeah’.</p><p>And now John Constantine was here to ask him if he was okay.</p><p>“Actually, I know the answer to that,” John said, walking over to sit down on the cot beside him. “Possession takes a lot out of you. Trust me, I know.”</p><p>“Yeah, right,” Gary spat softly. He had grown too used to not repressing negative emotions with Neron pulling his strings. That and he was too exhausted to be polite. “You’re John freaking Constantine.”</p><p>“And I let myself get possessed once,” John sighed.</p><p>Gary turned to him. “For real?”</p><p>“Yeah,” John leaned back to the wall. “I was helping an old friend with an invunche. She shot me to get an infant to safety and left me for dead. Self-preservation kicked in, and I opened myself up to let a demon inside.”</p><p>Gary felt all the walls he’d tried to build up crumble in an instant. “You let yourself get possessed?”</p><p>He nodded. “Let the bastard in to heal myself and drive off the invunche. Thought I’d be in control and hold him at bay until I could exorcise him. But Pazuzu was stronger than I imagined and got a deep hold on me. I almost didn’t let make it through the exorcism.”</p><p>“I never knew about that,” Gary murmured.</p><p>“It’s cause I never told you. But the point is I can understand a bit of what you went through. You sacrificed yourself to be a meatsuit for Neron and he forced you to do unspeakable things. Worst part is that he let you remember them.”</p><p>“I didn’t think anyone would try to save me.”</p><p>The words felt like lead as he said them. The tears that had been building up finally started to slip out. Out of the corner of his eye, Gary could see John’s head tilt to see them. Shame bubbled up in his stomach.</p><p>“Gary,” John sat up and put a hand on his shoulder. “You gave yourself up to save Desmond. You destroyed your courier to prevent Neron from getting to the Bureau. After everything you did to stop him, why do you think we wouldn’t try to save you?”</p><p>He didn’t know how to answer that. There was a response that he was supposed to give, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it.</p><p>“No matter what you get yourself into, squire,” John told him. “There are people who care about you and will help you. Took me too long to realize that. It’s about time you realize it too.”</p><p>Gary nodded. “Okay.”</p><p>“Good.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you enjoyed! Please give the Possession of Gary Green a read on here! (Let's Make a Deal is a great place to start)</p><p>Kudos and reviews are fun too.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. "How long has that been there?"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>kat-cornwell asked: Constangreen, "How long has that been there?"</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Pretty sure the Constangreen crew had a hand in this. Wonderful people they are.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“How long has that been there?” John murmured, staring at the statue of the Legends in the main entrance of the Bureau. Everything else looked relatively the same since that grenade had flashed, but this was new to him.</p><p>“Since Neron, silly,” a familiar voice chuckled from behind. “That’s a night neither of us…”</p><p>John turned around, causing the voice to trail off. The Gary standing and gaping at him was older with silver in his hair and beard. He reached a hand under his glasses to rub his eyes. The wedding band on his finger was hard for John not to spot. A pang of jealousy went through him, but of course Gary would have found someone who loved him. That’s what he deserved.</p><p>“I guess this is why you said you weren’t going to come in today,” older Gary told him. “He’s probably busy helping past me right now.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos and comments are always nice to get.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. "This is why I worked last Thanksgiving."</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>somebodyhelpthenotdeadfreds asked: Constangreen + "This is why I worked last Thanksgiving."</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The first mention of Gary Green's family. Well, the happy version that the Constangreens created. Because you know what, we sometimes do nice things.</p>
<p>Yes, Gary has two dads.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“This is why I worked last Thanksgiving.”</p>
<p>John lowered his lighter and looked across at Gary. “You really agreed to look after a bunch of monsters instead of spending time with your family?”</p>
<p>“I love them, don’t get me wrong,” Gary sighed. “But it just reminds me how much I have to hide from them. JJ gets to talk about his latest adventure to some remote desert. Levi can go on about his new artwork and it’s connection to something obscure. But I can’t speak a word to them or my dads about how I work for the Time Bureau.”</p>
<p>“Well, from what I saw,” John told him. “That doesn’t make you any less important to them. They’re happy to see you regardless of where your life’s at.”</p>
<p>Gary smiled a little.</p>
<p>“Besides, you are the only one who brought home a boyfriend,” John added with a cocky grin.</p>
<p>The smile grew bigger as Gary stood up from the steps they’d been sitting on. “Thanks, John.”</p>
<p>“Not a problem, squire. Now, how about we head back in before one of your dads comes looking for us?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos and comments are always nice to see pop up.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Constangreen + Bar</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>somebodyhelpthenotdeadfreds asked: Constangreen + Bar</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Set in Elseworlds. Damn, Bartender Gary was lovely.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As he entered the bar, John scanned the bar for a moment. His contact hadn’t yet arrived, which meant he had to wait. in the days before Superman, he’d been able to procure what he needed for spells without having to go through someone else. Such a thing was near impossible now.</p><p>Still, there was someone who made it worth it.</p><p>The bartender, Gary, beamed as John took a seat at the counter. “Let me guess, a pint of something drinkable?”</p><p>“Right on, squire,” he replied, shooting a smile right back at him. “I’m in for a wait.”</p><p>Gary blushed and nodded as he pulled the tap and slide the glass over to him. “Same guy?”</p><p>“Nah, new one.”</p><p>Gary glanced over at the corner, where Cisco Ramon was talking with James Olsen. “Does the boss know he’s coming?”</p><p>“He better,” John sighed. “Did you get your raise yet?”</p><p>“Going to try and talk to him after my shift ends,” Gary told him. “Mr. Ramon is pretty intimidating. I’ve already chickened out twice. I wish I could be as bold as the Trigger Twins.”</p><p>Both glanced at the wall on the back of the bar, where the clippings featuring the duos’ wrongdoings were proudly displaced amongst others. </p><p>“Tell you what, Gary,” John said. “I’ll make you a deal. You go and talk to Mr. Ramon after your shift. If you go through with it and ask for that raise, then I’ll take you out on a date.”</p><p>Gary’s mouth formed an o. “So if I get the raise, then you’ll go out with me?”</p><p>“I’ll go out even if you don’t get it,” John promised. “You deserve it, Gary. Even if you don’t get it, I’ll make it up to you.” </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos, comments, prompts- hit me up if you're feeling it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Constangreen + Amnesia</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>somebodyhelpthenotdeadfreds asked: Constangreen + Amnesia</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Gary's been flashed so much, this shit was bound to happen.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So we hung out?” Gary asked the blonde man who’d introduced himself as John Constantine. “When was this?”</p>
<p>John nodded. “Last year. You worked with me for a few weeks. We took down a couple of demons and other nasty things.”</p>
<p>“Demons? Did I fight any?”</p>
<p>“Kinda. You read off some spells that sent them back to where they crawled out of. You really had a knack for magic.”</p>
<p>Gary felt himself blush. “Well, the tall pretty guy says that I talk..ed about Dungeons and Dragons a lot. So maybe that’s where it came from?”</p>
<p>“Maybe,” John shrugged. “But you were pretty great.”</p>
<p>“We’re not working together anymore though, are we?” Gary asked, knowing deep down that there had to be something. All the questions he’d asked had brought him to the conclusion that he always caused a problem somewhere. It was how he’d lost his memory in the first place probably. “So what’d I do?”</p>
<p>A pained expression came over John’s face. “You think it was your fault?”</p>
<p>“I mean, it is, right?” Gary shrugged. “Director Sharpe says that I’m kind of clumsy. The Legends were kind of annoyed by me. So if we’re not close anymore, then I’m guessing it’s something I did.”</p>
<p>John shook his head. “Gary, listen to me. You never did anything wrong with us. It was all me.”</p>
<p>“What?” </p>
<p>“I was afraid. People who stick around me end up dead or worse. I couldn’t let that happen to you. So I left with a shitty excuse.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Gary nodded. “So you cared about me?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” John nodded, reaching into his pocket and handing a photograph to Gary. “We cared a lot for each other. Don’t know if this will help, but maybe it’ll jog a memory.”</p>
<p>Gary looked down at the picture. He and John were sitting on a picnic blanket, grinning like idiots. A Beebo doll was in his hands as he leaned back against John. It didn’t really stir any memories up for Gary, but looking at it made him feel…happy.</p>
<p>Too bad he couldn’t remember why John made him feel that way.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos? Comments? A kernal of validation?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. “I should have told you this a long time ago.”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>somebodyhelpthenotdeadfreds asked: Constangreen + “I should have told you this a long time ago.”</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Brace yourself for some minor angst.</p><p>Also, this is what happens when I listen to Flares by the Script. Fantastic song for dredging up feels.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I should have told you this a long time ago,” John sighed, eyes on the grass. “But if it wasn’t for you, I’d still be a wreck over Des.”</p><p>A glance over his shoulder confirmed that the man in question was by a car talking with Ray and Nate. Seeing Des happy and alive again, just himself once more, made John’s heart feel a little lighter. But remembering the cost to bring him back made everything ache.</p><p>“I know you loved me,” John continued. “And you weren’t subtle about it. Truth be told, I loved you too, Gary. I really did. Not a lot of souls as pure as yours who’d face a unicorn.”</p><p>He rubbed at his eyes, but there were no more tears left to cry. “You better have gotten the happiness you deserved. Otherwise I’ll go down to hell and kick in heads to make sure you’re out.”</p><p>Sara brushed up against his side. “Hey, need another minute?”</p><p>John shrugged. “Just about wrapped up. Said what I had to.”</p><p>“If you need to talk,” she reminded him, like she’d been doing all last week. “I’m here.”</p><p>“Thanks, but I’m ready to go.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>As Sara walked back over to the Legends, John took one last look at Gary’s grave.</p><p>“I won’t forget what you did for me, squire. Not ever.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos and comments are always appreciated.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. *angrily* "You used me."</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>husbandpirates asked: Constangreen + *angrily* "You used me."</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A Season 4 AU. I think I was in an angsty phase that day....but it's also nice?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You used me!” Gary screamed, as Neron walked away. “I thought you cared about me!”</p><p>John watched as the time agent strained at his shackles as Neron turned around. “Who would ever care about you, Gary?”</p><p>With that, he left and the dungeon doors slammed shut behind him. Gary sighed and sat back against the wall. John leaned forward on his own chains to see how he was doing. The other man looked crushed and beaten down.</p><p>“You had no idea who he really was,” John tried to reassure him. “I never told you about Desmond, so you didn’t know.”</p><p>“I was in love with him,” Gary muttered. “I was finally getting over you. But it was never real.”</p><p>“It’s not on you. Neron used both of us.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Gary sighed. “Although if he acted anything like Desmond did with you, I get why you fell in love with him in the first place.”</p><p>John chuckled. “Yeah, Dez woulda loved you and your big heart.”</p><p>Gary leaned back against the wall. “So now what? Wait for the Legends?”</p><p>“Neron strip-searched both of us, so unless you have any bright ideas, that’s the plan.”</p><p>“None at the moment,” a half-smile flitted over Gary’s face. “You know, this is the first time we’ve been alone together since…”</p><p>“The unicorn aftermath,” John nodded. “Feels like another lifetime ago.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Gary nodded. “I’ve missed you, you know?”</p><p>Now it was John’s turn to smile. “Me too, squire.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos and comments will always be appreciated.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. "You're too good for me."</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>icantchooseagoodname asked: Constangreen + "You're too good for me."</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I think harleygirl2468 had some influence on this....by the way, please go read Baby, I Call Hell by her- it is fantastic as a possession AU with a heaping cup of Venom feels tossed in.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“You’re too good for me,” John admitted aloud before lifting the cigarette to his lips once more. “You do know that, right?”<br/></em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He looked over at Gary, who was turned towards him. The familiar sweet smile was spread on his face. His morning bedhead was just asking for John to run his fingers through it. It wasn’t like they needed to be anywhere.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“You think I’m better than what I am,” Gary told him, propping himself up on an elbow. “I’m not that great, Connie.”<br/></em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“You are too pure of heart for me,” John exhaled a stream of smoke and gazing up at the ceiling. “My soul is bound for Hell. Just being in proximity to me is probably tainting yours.”<br/></em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Oh…I wouldn’t be so sure about,” the voice next to him was suddenly different. “His soul isn’t that special.”<br/></em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>John’s head snapped back to Gary, but it wasn’t Gary anymore. His eyes were pure black and the smile was more sinister than sweet.</em>
</p>
<p>John bolted upright on the bed, immediately looking to his left. There was nothing but empty mattress and wall of the Waverider. No demon, no Gary. With a sigh of relief, he laid back down again. </p>
<p>This was the third time this week he’d had a sex dream about Gary. It was also the third dream in the week that had ended with Gary being possessed. Once could be ignored. Twice was coincidence. But three times…</p>
<p>Perhaps he needed to pay Gary a visit soon.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos and comments are appreciated- go read Baby, I Call Hell</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. "I can pretend. It's - it's okay."</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>somebodyhelpthenotdeadfreds asked: Constangreen + "I can pretend. It's - it's okay."</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Look, when Neron seduced Gary to the Dark Side, I drowned in feels and wrote a lot.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>John waited outside the bathroom until Gary came out after changing his bandage. The spot on his shirt where it had seeped through was still there, but it could be covered by his jacket. When he’d first seen it, John thought something had hit him. They had been out in the open, it was entirely possible. He was too relieved to know it was just the nipple wound.</p><p>John managed a smile at him. “How’s it feeling, squire?”</p><p>Gary shrugged. “Still hurts losing the same nipple the second time. Then again, what was I supposed to expect?”</p><p>He was avoiding his eyes. John frowned and tilted his head to look at him. That’s when he saw the red rimmed eyes behind the glasses. The look of shame barely masked on Gary’s face. It reminded John all over again of what had happened to him.</p><p>“Gary…”</p><p>“I’m fine.” The words were too clipped.</p><p>“No, you’re not,” John shook his head, cursing the Legends for rubbing off on him so much. “Gary-”</p><p>“I can pretend,” he pleaded. “It’s - it’s okay.”</p><p>“No, it’s not!” he shouted. “It’s not okay, Gary. Neron pulled you to the dark side and that’s on me. It’s on all of us.”</p><p>“No, you’re just blaming yourself,” Gary protested. “I made the choice to do it. I put the nipple back on. I was stupid and an idiot-”</p><p>John took Gary’s face in his hands. “Stop it. You aren’t. You never have been.”</p><p>“John-”</p><p>“No, let me finish,” John told him. “Neron was right. I treated you like a doormat, and that’s not what you deserve. That’s why I broke it off the first time, because I knew I’d hurt you somehow and I didn’t want to do that. But I did anyways and I’m sorry. I know that won’t fix everything you went through, but I want you to hear it.”</p><p>Gary looked like he was trying not to cry again. “You don’t have to.”</p><p>“I do,” John smiled at him. “I care about you, Gary. Even if no one else does, I do, whether it’s as a friend or something more. I’ll be in your corner.”</p><p>“Thanks,” Gary’s lips quirked up a bit as he put his hands over John’s. “And if we’re saying stuff, I know you think you have to walk the path alone or people will get hurt. But some people…they don’t care what happens to them. They know the risks. They’re there no matter what because they care about you. Just let someone in.”</p><p>John slid their hands down in front of them. “They’d still get hurt.”</p><p>“Nothing’s perfect.”</p><p>John sighed and looked at the agent. “Were you serious about wanting to learn magic?”</p><p>Gary nodded. “It’s pretty cool. Not to mention really useful. I mean, it helps Nora out a lot when she’s running a mission. I wouldn’t mind being a little more useful.”</p><p>“I’ll meet you this Saturday,” John promised. “I’ll teach you some magic myself. No watering plants needed. Don’t worry about paying me back in any way.”</p><p>“Sure, but why?”</p><p>“Because I’m going to let someone in.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos and comments never hurt anyone!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. "You kept this picture?"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>somebodyhelpthenotdeadfreds asked: Constangreen: "You kept this picture?"</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Moving in fluff, and WHEN DO WE GET THE BACKSTORY BEHIND THE DAMN PICTURE?!?!?!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>John picked up the small urn and glanced at the duffel bag that he’d been packing. It was already pretty packed tightly, but so was the trunk. However, there was still stuff in his room in the Waverider that he couldn’t leave behind. At this point, he’d reached the cramming stage of the packing process. But he couldn’t let the urn break or everything would go up in Greek fire.</p><p>He grabbed a sock and wrapped it around the urn, then crammed in the duffel. It’d probably be enough.</p><p>“Need a hand?”</p><p>John turned around. Gary was standing in the doorway, smiling softly at him. He was wearing jeans and the Bureau softball hoodie instead of his normal suit. Usually Gary wore that on the weekends or whenever he took a day off. It was probably the latter if he was here to help.</p><p>“Sure,” John nodded. “It all fit the first time. But I did pick up some more things travelling with this lot.”</p><p>“I can’t blame you,” Gary said. “Everyone at the Bureau’s picked up at least one small thing that didn’t break the timeline. But the good news is there’s room for your stuff at my place.”</p><p>“Glad to hear it.”</p><p>It was still strange to remember that he was going to be moving in with Gary. After the whole Neron business, Gary had confessed he’d only joined forces with the demon because he was so tired of being beaten down. It had made John, not to mention the others, reassess some stuff. For him, he and Gary had decided to start from scratch as just friends. That friendship rebuilt trust between them before sparking something more intimate. Not a fling, but an actual relationship that made them both happy.</p><p>Now they were moving in together. John had been on and off the Waverider for most of the past few months. Sara asked about it a few weeks ago when he’d gotten back from a weekend at Gary’s. For the next two weeks, John had pondered over the best way to ask him to get a place together. When he finally did, he babbled about apartments for a few minutes before Gary had stopped him.</p><p>“Don’t worry about finding a place,” Gary told him. “Just move in with me.”</p><p>So now John was taking his leave from the Waverider. He’d still pick up a mission here and there when the Legends needed an exorcist, but there was still plenty of problems that needed his attention in present day. Ava had also offered him a position as a consultant for the Bureau. That one he was going to have to think over. </p><p>“Anyway, I brought some boxes,” Gary reached out into the hallway and dragged them into the room. “Whenever you get done, I can just open the courier to my living room and we can go from there.”</p><p>“Ah, thanks, love.”</p><p>Gary set one of the boxes on the small mattress that John would not be missing. They started working together to finish putting away the rest of the things. John couldn’t help but chuckle when Gary mentioned that Sara had given him a version of the shovel talk a few moments ago. He’d gotten one from Ava, and Nate, and Mona. Even Nora Darhk had threatened him about hurting Gary.</p><p>“I’ll have you know, Agent Green,” Gideon chimed in from above. “Should you ever bring any harm to Mr. Constantine, I will immediately notify the Legends to come after you.”</p><p>“Let him be, love,” John told her as Gary went over to the desk to clear the last of the odds and ends off. “He’s a good one.”</p><p>Gary blushed, then frowned. “You kept this picture?”</p><p>John turned around to see Gary holding up the photo of himself and Gary that had been taken almost a year ago. Both of them grinning like goofballs with Beebo in Gary’s arms. They’d been hit by a siren’s last defense when taking it out, and the euphoric pheromones had affected them quite a bit. Gary had suggested the picnic, but John had been the one who ran up to an old lady begging her to take their picture. The effects had worn off in twelve hours, but John had never felt such a blissful twelve hours.</p><p>“Course I did,” John said with a nod. “Reminded me that there’s still good in the world.”</p><p>“Because of siren pheromones?”</p><p>John shook his head and walked over to where Gary was standing. “Because of you, love.”</p><p>Gary leaned forward and kissed him. “It’s a good photo. If you want, we can frame it?”</p><p>John looked at the photo and smiled. Then panic filled him again when he remembered how all of his past relationships had never gotten that. He’d been serious with all of them and they’d all ended horribly. Could it mean he and Gary would have the worst ending?</p><p>The words Mick had shared with him after finding out he was leaving came back now. “<em>You hurt yourself more staying still than you do moving forward.”</em></p><p>For a man of few words, he knew how to use them. Then again, this was the man behind Rebecca Silver. </p><p>“Let’s get it framed,” John agreed.</p><p>Five minutes later, the room was empty. As Gary readied the courier, John looked back at the room one last time. Then he turned back to Gary and the opening to his apartment.</p><p>Time to move forward.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos, comments, and theories about the picture are all accepted.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>somebodyhelpthenotdeadfreds asked: Fic idea! John ends up in the future and meets future!Cassie.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Introducing Cassie! Used by a cult to be a demon vessel and rescued by John and Gary before becoming their daughter. She's delight.</p><p>Also some early predictions I had for S5 included before it aired.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The staff of the Time Guardian hit the floor with the sound of a klaxon. Bright green temporal light burst out in all directions towards the Legends. Nate was the first hit by it and vanished. Ray ran for Nora, grabbing her hand before they too disappeared in the light. John turned around, his hand shooting out for Gary’s. He was about to grab onto the hand the time agent held out when something hit his back and his world went white.</p><p>Then he was smacking into something hard and dropping to the floor. Spots swam in and out of his vision when he opened his eyes. A few blinks cleared most of them up so that he could make out he was lying on a wooden floor. His fingers could just barely brush up against a purple rug beside a desk and chair.</p><p>“Oh shit,” someone gasped.</p><p>John groaned and sat up. By the looks of it, he was in a someone’s bedroom. Sitting on the bed was a black teenager with her hands over her mouth. She was staring at him with a horrified expression. Her hands left her mouth and ran through her hair as she shuddered.</p><p>“Oh no,” she shook her head, looking down at a book in her lap. “No, no, no, that was not supposed to happen!”</p><p>“I don’t think that was you,” John muttered as he climbed upright with the trunk at the end of the bed (probably what he’d smacked into now that he thought of it). “Where am I?”</p><p>She frowned and leaned closer before her eyes widened. “Ohhhh, you don’t know me.”</p><p>“Should I?”</p><p>She hissed on the inhale of her cringe. “Ahhhh, well, that’s a question that can have all kinds of answers, even more if you factor in the multiverse, but nope. No. You and I do not know each other.”</p><p>John frowned, not convinced. “Look, kid, just tell me when and where I am, and I’ll be out of your hair.”</p><p>“NO!” she climbed off the bed, the book sliding off her lap as she ran to block the door. “Oh no no no, you cannot leave the house right now. That is a <em>very</em> bad idea.”</p><p>“I’m full of bad ideas, but I always figure out something that gets me by,” John told her before his eyes fell onto the book. He had one like it, but it wasn’t the stuff of amateurs. There were powerful spells in it. “Where’d you get that?’</p><p>“Can’t tell you,” the girl shook her head. “Son of a bitch, this is not what I needed today! Aunt Ava always warned me something like this could happen.”</p><p>“Ava Sharpe? You know Sharpie?”</p><p>“Yes! Oh crap, I should have listened to her and Papa on what to do with this. Dammit, I never thought it’d happen.”</p><p>“Cassie? You okay up there?”</p><p>“SHIT!” erupted out of the girl, Cassie, as she flung the door open. “Totally fine, Annette!”</p><p>“Yeah, really selling that,” John muttered.</p><p>“Hey, who else is up there? I thought it was just us?”</p><p>“It is!”</p><p>“I’m coming up, babe.”</p><p>“Oh, fuck,” Cassie mumbled as she shut the door and started pushing John towards a closet. “Okay, I need you to hide in there. Do not make a sound please!”</p><p>“Why can’t you just explain it to that Annette?” John asked as Cassie opened the door. “Does she not know about you studying spells?”</p><p>“No, she knows and supplies me with half my material,” Cassie told him. “It’s….no, I don’t think I can talk about this with this you.”</p><p>“Oh, so you do know me?”</p><p>Footsteps drew nearer. Cassie clenched her fists and sighed. “Yes, fine, I know you. It’s complicated but my girlfriend cannot see you and that’s a whole different story, Dad, so please just get in the damn closet!”</p><p>With that, she pushed him inside. When John turned around to protest, the door was being slammed in his face. It was almost complete darkness save for a crack of light at the bottom of the door. He was tucked in between jackets and dresses and a smell of sage and something floral he couldn’t figure out right now.</p><p>He wondered where the other Legends were right now. Given the girl had known him somehow, John figured they’d been scattered in time by the Time Guardian. Could they be in this time period too? Where Nora and Ray together since they’d been touching? Would Gary have been with him too if he’d gotten to him a little sooner? Would they have been-</p><p><em>Dad</em>.</p><p>Cassie had called him Dad before she’d shoved him in the closet.</p><p>
  <em>Dad.</em>
</p><p>He was someone’s father in the future.</p><p>
  <em>Dad.</em>
</p><p>John fell back into the clothes until his back hit the wall, then slowly sank to the floor. The heel of a boot was digging into the back of his knee, but he ignored it.</p><p>“Bollocks,” he murmured, wondering if Gideon had trapped him in some mind simulation as revenge for smoking in the library again.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Feedback and kudos are always nice to see!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. "im not wearing that"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>hanorganaas asked: constagreen - "im not wearing that"</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>An itty bitty fic, but still a fic</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’m not wearing that,” John scowled at the outfit sitting in the replicator.</p><p>Gary pouted. “We’re going into a town in the Wild West. Captain Lance said everyone has to blend in.”</p><p>“I’m not doing costumes, sunshine.”</p><p>“Would it help if I said you make a very cute cowboy?”</p><p>“No,” John said, picking up the hat and setting it on his head. “This is as far as I go.”</p><p>Gary grinned brightly. “I like it.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos? Comments?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. “Our daughter got in a fight today.” “Did she win?”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>somebodyhelpthenotdeadfreds asked: Constangreen: “Our daughter got in a fight today.” “Did she win?”</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Some dumb fluff featuring Cassie.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Our daughter got in a fight today,” was the first thing John said when he and Cassie trudged out of the school to where Gary was waiting in the pick up line.</p><p>“Did she win?” Gary asked before remembering his parental duties. “I-I mean, Cassie, you shouldn’t be fighting at school. Why were you fighting?”</p><p>Their daughter scuffed her shoes together. “Dad told me it’s okay if I have a good reason.”</p><p>John sighed as Gary glared at him. “Not my finest moment.”</p><p>“It still doesn’t answer why you were fighting.”</p><p>“Because Ricky says I can’t have two dads since his mom says it’s an abomination. I told him it wasn’t and then I punched him. He’s the one who fought back.”</p><p>Gary beamed, but it hurt to hear his daughter was being bullied because of him and John. “Cass, you know there’s nothing wrong with us as a family, right?”</p><p>“I know, Dad already gave me that talk.”</p><p>“And I did very good on it,” John grinned. “You’d be proud to hear it.”</p><p>“You’ll have to tell me later. I love it when you get all soft and caring.”</p><p>John’s smirk was downright devilish. “If you must know, that little twit’s mum is giving us an evil look.”</p><p>Gary turned. Sure enough, Ricky’s mother was giving them a death glare. John scowled at her as an idea struck Gary.</p><p>“HEY BRENDA!”</p><p>Her full attention was on them when Gary grabbed John’s face and kissed the hell out of him. He backed the love of his life right up against the car and barely contained a laugh as he saw Brenda turning different colors. John’s leg started to creep up to hook around his waist.</p><p>Cassie gagged. “Ew, dads…you’re embarrassing me.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos and comments are appreciated!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. "How many more times will you break my heart?"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>husbandpirates asked: Constangreen + "How many more times will you break my heart?"</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I felt a bit evil writing this. It was fun and painful</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“How many more times will you break my heart?” Gary mumbled as he glanced over at John sitting on the table. “Just stop it already.”</p>
<p>“You’re the one who’s got to stop it,” replied John as he tapped his fingers restlessly on his legs. He didn’t have his cigarettes on him, so this was the alternative. “Just move on, sunshine.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, easy for you to say,” Gary tried to snarl at him, but the words lacked the bite he wanted. “You’re not the one who’s left behind. You just…left.”</p>
<p>“If I could do something to make things different, then I would.”</p>
<p>Gary got up from where he was lying on the floor of the library. “Why are you still even hanging around? Shouldn’t you be somewhere else?”</p>
<p>“I’d like to think that I’m attached to you.”</p>
<p>“Because what, you loved me?”</p>
<p>John’s lips twitched. “I never did tell you that, did I?”</p>
<p>Gary sniffled and pushed his glasses up to rub his eyes. “No…no, you didn’t.”</p>
<p>“Maybe if we’d been together a little longer?” John suggested as he hopped off the table. “If we had, then I would have actually said it.”</p>
<p>“Go away. Move on. Just stop torturing me.”</p>
<p>“Gary-”</p>
<p>“If you cared, you’d be gone. You wouldn’t be there to remind me that I let you down! That I’m the reason you died!”</p>
<p>“You blame yourself? For fu-”</p>
<p>“Just go!” Gary shouted, grabbing an hourglass from the shelf and hurtling it towards John.</p>
<p>The hourglass sailed right through John’s head. It hit the shelf behind him, glass shattering on impact. Pieces rained to the ground with sand and metal. But John was still there, looking at him with sad eyes. Why did he have to have eyes like that? Why couldn’t death dampen the hurt of them?</p>
<p>“Gary?”</p>
<p>He turned to see Ray frowning at him from the entrance of the library. If he could see John, then he didn’t say anything. From his perspective, it looked as if Gary was alone and not talking to a ghost. That’s how everyone else on the ship had reacted whenever they’d walked in on him since that awful day.</p>
<p>“Is everything okay?” asked Ray, eyes falling to the broken hourglass.</p>
<p>Gary put on the best smile he could. Fake it until you make it, after all. “Everything is fine.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>TA-DA!</p>
<p>Kudos? Comments? Anyone wanting to chase me with a torch and pitchfork?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. "Welp, that's not how I expected that to go."</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>creativemoxiety asked: "Welp, that's not how I expected that to go." + constangreen</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Again...I blame the Constangreen discord for giving me wonderful and cracky ideas!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gary heard John cough somewhere through the thick golden smoke. “Welp, that’s not how I expected that to go.”</p><p>Even though he was more preoccupied with whether he’d grabbed the wrong powder or said something different in the incantation, Gary still noticed that John’s voice sounded different. It was still him, just squeakier with a thicker accent. The smoke from his current mishap was starting to clear up, but he still couldn’t see him. He brought a hand to his aching head, hoping it wasn’t bleeding from where he hit the table. Instead of mussing up the gelled curls, his hand met dry frizz.</p><p>Weird.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” came out of his mouth, voice cracking right in the middle. “Wait, that’s weird.”</p><p>John groaned nearby. “Oh this is not good.”</p><p>“What? Are you okay? Did I hurt you? Oh no, Sara’s gonna kill me, isn’t she?”</p><p>“Gary,” John spoke slowly. “If you see your reflection, don’t freak out. We’re okay. That regeneration spell I was teaching you was a bit too much.”</p><p>“Too much? How was it too much?”</p><p>He had been crawling to the edge of the room to get out the doors. Nora and Mona were standing on the other side. The latter had her hands over her mouth while the former was gaping. Gary stood up, confused until he saw his reflection in the glass. He was still himself, but he also…wasn’t.</p><p>The acne. The bad perm. The braces when he bared his teeth at the glass. Even the round glasses he’d worn during those years. </p><p>“Turned the clock back on us a bit there.”</p><p>Gary turned around to look at John. The exorcist’s normally blonde hair was more orangey and eyeliner was loaded on his eyelids. He was also suffering in the acne department, although not as bad as Gary was. </p><p>“Oh no,” Gary shuddered. “We’re-”</p><p>“Teenagers,” Nora said across the glass, biting her lip. “Not what you were going for?”</p><p>Gary groaned and hung his head. The nightmare he’d thought he left behind had returned with a vengeance. </p><p>John patted his shoulder. “We’ll get it sorted before the rest find out.”</p><p>“I’m afraid they already know, Mr. Constantine.”</p><p>“Bollocks. You’re a rat, Gideon.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos? Comments?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. "Did you eat the chocolate cake?"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>somebodyhelpthenotdeadfreds asked: Constangreen + Cassie: "Did you eat the chocolate cake?"</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Cassie's back, babes!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>John wound the hair tie over the last braid. “Done.”</p><p>Cassie turned to look back up at him, twin braids swinging in the air for a moment before she smiled. “Thanks, John.”</p><p>“Be glad it’s me doing your hair and not Gary,” John chuckled as the door to the apartment opened.</p><p>“What about me?”</p><p>“Nothing you need to know,” John replied, sending a knowing wink at Cassie as he got up to greet his boyfriend. “Took you long enough to get back here.”</p><p>“Had a good reason.”</p><p>Cassie hopped up from the floor and headed towards the bathroom. Gary smiled and pulled out some papers. He handed them to John, who thumbed through them. When he realized what they were, he smiled.</p><p>“You got the adoption papers?”</p><p>Gary grinned. “I did. Want to ask her tonight?”</p><p>“I don’t think you’ll be able to keep it a secret for much longer,” John teased, kissing him quickly. “Get the rest of the cake from the fridge.”</p><p>“Did you two already eat?” Gary pouted. “I thought you promised to wait for me.”</p><p>“We’ll have cake, then dinner,” John offered.</p><p>“Fair enough,” Gary sighed, going for the fridge and opening the door.</p><p>“Hey, Cassie,” called John. “When you get out, we’ve got something to talk about.”</p><p>Gary lifted his head up. “Did you eat the chocolate cake?”</p><p>“No,” John shook his head. “I haven’t touched…”</p><p>Then he remembered how there’d been a smear of something on Cassie’s lip. He hadn’t been sure what it was then, but now he knew. </p><p>“Cassie,” John shook his head. “No wonder she couldn’t sit still when I was doing her hair.”</p><p>“You did her hair?”</p><p>“She asked me to. Was I supposed to say no to that face?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hummus...thoughts?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. “then I want you to lie to me”?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anonymous asked: Would you do John and Gary: “then I want you to lie to me”?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Little angst....little fluff...good stuff I think</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Then I want you to lie to me.”</p><p>A frown overtook Gary’s features. Sure, John had asked him for some strange stuff before, but it had never been that. It was the one thing they both tried not to do. They’d been through enough of that.</p><p>“Why?” he asked the man crouched on the floor of the brig. “John, it’s just me. Well, Ray’s here too, but I don’t know where. We got in through cognitive intrusion. I’m not a trick or a trap. Just Gary.”</p><p>“Then lie to me and prove it!” John snarled. “Show me you’re not another lie! I know how my Gary lies. If you’re really him, then I’ll know.”</p><p>There were thousands of things Gary knew he could lie to John about. He could tell John that he didn’t blame himself for Astra’s fate. That he couldn’t bake to save his life. Hell, he could even say John didn’t sing old Mucus Membrane songs on the really bad days. So many lies that were based on truths that Gary knew about John could be used to prove it.</p><p>But then Gary remembered…there was no need to tell a lie.</p><p>“I’m not going to,” he sighed. “Because I won’t lie to you. We don’t do that.”</p><p>Instantly, relief spread across John’s face. He was off the floor and hugging Gary within the moment. Gary stumbled back a little in surprise, but caught himself and managed to still return the hug. He let himself forget that they were still stuck in John’s mind and needed to find a way out while John regained control. Right now, all he cared about was that he’d found a way to get through to John.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thoughts?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. "Why don’t you wear something other than that tie and trench coat?”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>dextersgrifs asked: For the ask meme: constangreen and “why don’t you wear something other than that tie and trench coat?”</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>John hates costumes, it's canon.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Why don’t you wear something other than that tie and trench coat?” Gary asked again as he tried to free his sandal from the mud. Again.</p><p>“I’m committed to it,” John shrugged, watching as Gary finally yanked himself free. “Besides, I’m not up for wearing whatever itchy crap the Romans are considering fashionable.”</p><p>“I’m blending it! You’re going to stick out when we make it to the Senate!”</p><p>“Meh, tell them it’s English.”</p><p>Gary hung his head and sighed. “Fine. Just remember, we want them to turn on Caligula, not us.”</p><p>John’s expression radiated mock offense. “I know how to be on my best behavior.”</p><p>“You weren’t last night,” slipped out of Gary’s mouth before he could stop himself.</p><p>That got a wicked smirk out of his sort of boyfriend. “Maybe I won’t be tonight either.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos? Comments?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. "Never met a girl as pretty as you."</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>kat-cornwell asked: Constangreen. "Never met a girl as pretty as you."</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>In which Gary is a drag queen because why the fuck not?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Never met a girl as pretty as you.” </p><p>Gary whirled around, but relaxed as soon as he saw John. “What are you doing here? I thought Sara told you to scout the audience.”</p><p>“Eh, decided to switch with Rory on watching the backstage,” John replied as he leaned against the wall of the stage. “You’ve been hiding this on me, sunshine. Does Raymond look as good?”</p><p>Gary smirked. “He passes. I had to give him a hand. First drag show’s the hardest.”</p><p>“Oh, Gary, I sense there’s a story there.”</p><p>“Maybe,” he shrugged. “But on stage, it’s Barb. Barb Mitzvah.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos and comments are always appreciated.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. "Go to hell." "You've already put me there."</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>somebodyhelpthenotdeadfreds asked: Constangreen: "Go to hell." "You've already put me there."</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The angst bug bit me</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As the hot brand sizzled against his skin, John let out a scream of pain. The smell of his flesh being burned hit his nose as he instinctively tried to jerk away from the pain. Across the room, Gary was straining against the cords binding him to a chair. The masked figure who had abducted him from their mission glanced over him briefly before pulling the metal away from John’s side.</p><p>“Go to hell,” John managed to spit out as the mask leaned in closer to examine his handiwork.</p><p>“You’ve already put me there,” a modulate voice replied as the mask turned to look up at him. “Well, you will some day.”</p><p>“You’re from his future,” Gary murmured. “Look, if John sent you to hell, he had to have had a good reason. He doesn’t send just anyone to hell.”</p><p>A disgusted grunt came from the mask. “Oh, Gary. You will be surprised.”</p><p>John turned his head and fixed the mask with a furious glare. “So you know both of us, that’s why you took us. And I’ve done something to you in the future, huh? Well, screw knowing too much about your own future. Take off that mask. Show us your face.”</p><p>A chuckle. “If you insist…I just hope you’re ready.”</p><p>The figure reached up and pulled the mask back. On the other side of the room, Gary gasped. John was rendered speechless at the sight of an older version of Gary Green. There was more grey in his hair, a few new wrinkles, but the most noticeable was the thick scar that ran over his nose, ending just beneath his right eye. Within his eyes was a look of raw hatred, probably a brand reserved just for John.</p><p>“Gary?” John uttered finally. “What…”</p><p>“Happened?” Future Gary finished tonelessly. “You did. This was your handiwork before you sent me to Hell.”</p><p>He raised a finger to the long scar. “But I managed to crawl my way back up. When I did, I swore that I’d change things. I wouldn’t let you turn on me.”</p><p>His Gary looked terrified in the corner. “Why would John send us to Hell?”</p><p>“That’s what I’d like to know,” John added. “Come on, Gary. Spill it.”</p><p>Future Gary was staring at his younger self. “You’re going to discover some interesting things about yourself soon. He’s not going to be able to handle it. Neither will the Legends. They’ll see it as a menace and turn on you. For now, I’ll give you two a little demonstration.”</p><p>John watched Future Gary’s eyes turn completely black before his body was suddenly lifted up in the chains holding him.</p><p>“That’s impossible,” he rasped as Gary stared up at him.</p><p>Future Gary sneered. “Oh, you don’t even know impossible.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos and comments are great to wake up to.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. “Bureau Brat and Demon Girl.”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>somebodyhelpthenotdeadfreds asked: Cassie and Blake prompt! “Bureau Brat and Demon Girl.”</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm lumping this one in here because it does involve Constangreen.</p><p>Oh, and meet Blake- the soft marshmallow deadly assassin son of Avalance</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You know if we’re going to play the blame game, this is pretty much on you.”</p><p>“Oh <em>really</em>, Bureau Brat?” his companion snarked back. “People sneeze! You sneeze too! It happens, but it happened at the wrong time!”</p><p>“Even to demon girls?”</p><p>Ava sighed as the group continued to watch the live feed from the cell. “It’s been like this on and off for the past twenty minutes.”</p><p>“That’s a long blame game,” John muttered while the man said something about how they could have been undetected.</p><p>“They were starting to argue when I stunned them,” Gary added as the woman yelled at the man how he was the one who blew their cover. “I thought they were pirates after the last time we heard voices on board.”</p><p>“They don’t look like time pirates,” Sara said. “More like people we’d run into. That looks like a Bureau pin on his suit after all. And she’s called him Bureau Brat.”</p><p>Ava frowned. “Yeah, except the Bureau was dissolved. He seems familiar, but I don’t recognize him.”</p><p>Gary shook his head, he didn’t know him either. Sara’s eyebrows scrunched up. “Maybe the Bureau gets rebooted in the future? He did have the stuff you usually have, Aves. Not to mention that nickname Bureau Brat.”</p><p>“That’s a good theory,” Ava murmured, watching the woman stalk off towards the corner of the cell, clearly frustrated. “She doesn’t look she’s an agent.”</p><p>“More like she raided John’s closet,” Sara grinned, pointing out the girl’s trench coat. “If there’s a Bureau in the future, maybe she’s their version of John Constantine.”</p><p>“Well, she does seem to be a pain in this brat’s ass,” John smirked. “Wonder if she’s any good at magic?”</p><p>“How about we go find out?” Sara proposed, hopping off the desk. “We’ve let them argue without talking to them long enough. Time to figure out who they are and where they came from.”</p><p>The other three followed Sara down the hall from the parlor to the brig. Once they entered, the imprisoned duo stopped arguing. Bureau Brat’s eyes widened and he stepped back. He was white with dirty blond hair and blue-green eyes. Of the two, he looked a little younger than his companion. That could explain why he was showing such fear on his face.</p><p>Demon Girl rolled her eyes at his short retreat. She looked like an opposite of the man, dark skinned with braided black hair tied back. Under the trench coat was a black tank and ripped jeans. A handful of necklaces hung at different lengths around her neck. She too looked nervous, but wasn’t showing it as openly as Bureau Brat.</p><p>“Bureau Brat and Demon Girl,” John greeted once the four stood in front of the brig. “Enjoying the ship?”</p><p>“There’s better places here,” the woman fired back. “I, for one, happen to like the library. My girlfriend does too.”</p><p>“So you know the Waverider?” Sara inquired. “Just you, or does he know it too.”</p><p>Bureau Brat looked a tad more anxious now. “I know it, mo-motherfucker.”</p><p>Ava glared in outrage at him. “Excuse me?”</p><p>“Sorry, mom,” he blurted out before slapping his hands over his mouth.</p><p>Demon Girl heaved a sigh and shook her head. Ava took a step back, stunned. Sara was equally surprised. Gary’s mouth was open, almost comically. John glanced between Bureau Brat and Ava. There were…resemblances.</p><p>“Mom?” Ava repeated. “Did you say that…that word to me?”</p><p>The man nodded weakly. “Yeah, and you told me not to spill that kind of thing whenever I went into the past. I’m good at it, usually, but…it’s you two.”</p><p>“Oh my god, stop talking,” Demon Girl whined, slapping her hand over his mouth. “Look, I’m sorry about him. We came here on accident. I was supposed to transport us to our Waverider but then…well, I sneezed and oops, wrong time.”</p><p>“You’re on the Waverider in the future?” Gary asked. “The Legends keep going? Are you Legends, or do you go by something else?”</p><p>Demon Girl smiled fondly at him. “Yeah, we’re Legends. And our friends will be worried if we don’t head back soon. I just need some stuff for a spell and- EW! Blake!”</p><p>She snatched her hand back from Blake’s mouth and wiped it on her pants. “You’re disgusting.”</p><p>Sara snickered. “Ah, I used to do that to Laurel all the time.”</p><p>“My brothers did that to me,” Gary chimed in. “So Blake? Are you Sara and Ava’s kid?”</p><p>Blake looked pleadingly to Demon Girl, who sighed. “Yeah, he’s Aunt Ava and Aunt Sara’s kid- shit, Blake, you rub off on me!”</p><p>“You’re our son then,” Sara deducted, a new fond look directed towards Blake. “How about you? You look like a mini John in that.”</p><p>“The number of times I hear that,” she muttered.</p><p>“People mean it as a compliment, Cassie.”</p><p>Cassie’s lips twitched. “I’m telling your mothers next time we get in contact with them.”</p><p>“So who are you then?” John asked her. “You know them, and you know me somehow. Gary too, but I don’t get how. So what, was I your teacher?”</p><p>“You both were,” Cassie smiled. “And you two were a little more than that. If I tell you, will you let us go back home?”</p><p>“Yes,” Gary answered, getting some dirty looks from the others. “Come on, they’re from the future. They got here on accident, they need to get back home.”</p><p>Ava sighed. “He’s got a point. We know Blake’s our son, and Cassie knows us somehow. If we keep them in our time, future us is going to worry.”</p><p>“Or be so pissed off at our past selves that they come back and cause more problems,” Sara added. “It’s a deal. Now tell us who you are.”</p><p>“What, the trenchcoat didn’t give it away?” she laughed, pulling off the trenchcoat and spinning around to reveal a tattoo of a creature on her shoulder blade.</p><p>“You have a Tiefling tattoo?” Gary gasped in delight.</p><p>“My first DND character,” Cassie explained, pulling the coat back on. “One of the many things my dads taught me.”</p><p>“Dads…” Gary trailed off, but John was still confused.</p><p>“I don’t get it.”</p><p>Cassie grinned. “I’ll wait for it.”</p><p>A moment later, it clicked and John’s eyes widened. “Oh.”</p><p>“Hey, Dads,” Cassie waved. “Sooo can we get out and back to our own time yet?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thoughts?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. "Actually, isn't vanishing one of the things that genies can do?"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Constangreen + "Actually, isn't vanishing one of the things that genies can do?"</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Another shorty</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Actually, isn’t vanishing one of the things that genies can do?”</p><p>“Only when the sun rises,” John told Gary as they crept into the building. “Right now, in the night, we can find them, but they’re also stronger in the night.”</p><p>“Yay,” Gary cheered pitifully, whirling around when he thought he saw something. “So what do we do?”</p><p>“Stay with me at all times.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Uh, yeah, one of them totally got hit by one and ended up on dreamworlds that night.</p><p>Kudos and comments are always appreciated.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. "Could we focus on the part where I came back and saved your life?"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anonymous asked: Constangreen + "Could we focus on the part where I came back and saved your life?"</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I was on a huge Dangerous Habits kick around this time thanks to the damn video Adam posted where he was holding that.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Could we focus on the part where I came back and saved your life?”</p><p>John didn’t turn to look back at Gary, bracing himself against the kitchen chair instead of facing him.</p><p>“You said you had it handled, but you didn’t,” Gary told him, coming around so John couldn’t avoid seeing him. “This is the third time you’ve put yourself in serious danger this month, so tell me what is going on.”</p><p>He wanted to tell Gary about the scans and the diagnosis he’d gotten, but it would make Gary worry and he didn’t want to live with Gary as a pity stay.</p><p>“Guess, I’m just tired,” he shrugged.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*jazz hands*</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. “I love you.” “I know.”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>somebodyhelpthenotdeadfreds asked: Constangreen - “I love you.” “I know.”</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>An iconic line....peppered with some angst</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I love you,” Gary whispered as he broke the kiss.</p><p>John smiled the best he could. “I know. I’m sorry, but if you want to start over after this…”</p><p>“That depends on how we meet again,” Gary squeezed his hand. “I don’t want to forget you.”</p><p>“Me neither, but the only way to stop this thing from rising is for both of us to forget.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos? Thoughts? Anything?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. "I'm so sorry I've hurt you, Gary" "Well, it's too late now to repent."</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>husbandpirates asked: Constangreen + "I'm so sorry I've hurt you, Gary" "Well, it's too late now to repent."</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Is it angst? You betcha!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’m so sorry I’ve hurt you, Gary,” John shouted as his boyfriend strode out of the med bay. </p><p>“Well, it’s too late now to repent,” yelled Gary as he stopped and turned around. “I thought things were going to be different when you said you wanted to try again, but you went and lied to my face for months!”</p><p>John grimaced. “I didn’t know how to say it, how to tell you-”</p><p>“That you were sick? You could have just said it! There were plenty of chances to tell me but you kept lying! Why? Was it to spare my feelings? Because that didn’t work!”</p><p>“You have every right to be angry, squire,” John told him. “If you just listen-”</p><p>“I can’t right now. I need to go.”</p><p>With that, he was gone, leaving John all on his own in the med bay. Making a fist, he slammed his hand against the armrest of the chair and sat back to hate himself for a while.</p><p>Down the hall, Gary had stopped to start rubbing the tears from his eyes.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos? Comments? Bueller?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Cleo's perspective on Constangreen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>somebodyhelpthenotdeadfreds asked: Cleo's perspective on Constangreen</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Cleo the cat needs to be canon, Gary strikes me as a cat guy</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Gary starts seeing John, Cleo already knew this isn’t going to end well.</p><p>She would have rathered it didn’t, of course. Her human deserved to be happy if he was in a relationship. From what she’d listened to in the moments where he tells her about his day and overheard phone calls, he could use anything where he’s treated well. Sure, Gary was a tad awkward and clumsy (though so is everyone else compared to her), but he had got a heart of gold. He always made sure she was safe and happy and well-cared for.</p><p>His past boyfriends and that one girlfriend never lived up to her expectations. Cleo saw him go off on a date with a spring in his step and return within two hours with sunken shoulders to flop on the couch. Other times, he brought a date back to the apartment. She never liked them, even if Gary did up until they broke his heart.</p><p>The morning Gary arrived home, she had perked up at the sight of him looking more disheveled than normal. He was beaming and happy. Not to mention she could smell cigarettes on him and another scent that wasn’t Gary. She hadn’t ever seen him this joyful.</p><p>Soon enough, John started coming around. The first time Cleo met him, she knew that he would be trouble. He smelled like trouble and cigarettes and bad decisions. Gary was happy for the first time in a very long time, so she allowed John to be there with only a few pointed looks and some occasional hisses.</p><p>When John eventually broke Gary’s heart, she was there for her human because he needed it. Cleo was able to hear all about the breakup and wanted to scratch John’s eyes out. For once, she wished she could communicate with her human and tell him that he was better off without John. All she could do though was give him give him cuddles to make him feel better.</p><p>Months passed and Gary never really bounced back. The Legends sounded like they were being awful to him again, especially since they made him loose his nipple. Sooner or later, he was going to break even with her around. One day, he came home smelling different. His attitude towards her was chilly and stiff. Cleo hissed at him and crawled under the couch. She crawled out when he was gone, and waited for two days before he came back as his normal self, but with John in tow.</p><p>“I’m just gonna change quick, and then we can talk,” Gary was telling John as he entered.</p><p>John was smiling as he nodded. “You go ahead and do that.”</p><p>“I’m gonna do that,” Gary bent down and scratched Cleo’s ears as he passed. “Hey, Cleo. Sorry about earlier.”</p><p>She butted his hand to signify all was forgiven. Then he was off to get changed and it was just her and John. Cleo hissed at him. Not all was forgiven with this man.</p><p>“Yeah, I bet you’re mad at me,” John mumbled. “Look, I was an asshole before. But we’re starting over.”</p><p>She sat up with interest. </p><p>“Just friends for now,” he said. “If it gets beyond that, I’ll treat him right. I will.”</p><p>Well, he did sound sincere. So she allowed it.</p><p>To Cleo’s surprise, John did follow through on his word. He and Gary stuck it out as friends at first. Then things started to upgrade and John was around more often than not. He wasn’t completely horrible after a month, and even gave her scratches behind her ears. She found she could live with this new reality. One where Gary was happy with John.</p><p>And then she realized John was sick.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reviews? Kudos? Offers of a firstborn?</p><p> </p><p>(That last one is a joke)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. The Island (1)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>dextersgrifs asked: Prompt for constangreen from the server!!! John and Gary get trapped on an island (Liam Yu?) in the last for months. They stumble across and guys and Gary gets shot, and John is trying his damndest to fix him.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The Constangreen nerds got on a tangent about beards and somehow got to the idea of John and Gary stranded on Lian Yu for a long ass time during WWII and going through a lot of shit. It's not perfect, or super amazing, but I was proud of it.</p><p>Anywho, enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Go, go, go!”</p><p>John didn’t need to be told twice to start running when the patrolling soldiers looking their way. The guns were raised and Gary could only repeat the words as they bolted to their feet and away from the encampment. Gunshots ran out behind them as they ran. John didn’t know where they were hitting and he didn’t feel like stopping to find out. </p><p>“Where do we go?” Gary shouted as John spared a glance back to see soldiers following. “John?”</p><p>“Waterfall! We jump over and swim back!”</p><p>Gary nodded as a shot whizzed past John’s ear. Stopping to use magic was not a good idea for two reasons. The first meant certain death and if he didn’t die, then the soldiers would surely take him back to camp to learn more. Oliver had told him enough about Lian Yu’s history to know the basics of Mirakuru’s development. The last thing he wanted while he and Gary were stranded here was to end up as guinea pigs.</p><p>The cliff that gave way to the waterfall was coming up fast. Gary skidded to a stop at the edge, breathing heavily. As John caught up with him, he grabbed him by the hand. Gary turned to look at him, and John nodded. They would do it together.</p><p>Then Gary stumbled forward with a cry, taking John over the edge with him.</p><p>In the span of mere seconds, John felt weightlessness before getting a mouthful of cold water as he went under. Holding his breath, he swam with Gary underwater over to a little overhang that would hide them from the soldiers. He surfaced for air, pressing tightly against Gary while waiting for the soldiers to go. The universal translator Gideon had given him long ago was a godsend as he could hear them talking above, assuming they hadn’t survived the fall and if they had, they would track them down later. After waiting several minutes, it finally seemed safe enough to come out.</p><p>“They’re gone,” he murmured, glancing over at Gary’s pale face. “We gave them the slip.”</p><p>“That’s g-g-good,” Gary chattered. </p><p>“You alright, Gary?”</p><p>“I th-th-think I’ve been shot.”</p><p>John glanced down to see Gary’s hands pressed against his shirt under the water. Removing them revealed a hole in the shirt and wisps of red oozing into the water from his lower torso. The exorcist sucked in a breath. For two months, they’d been able to avoid getting seriously hurt. Now that was no longer the case.</p><p>“Shit.”</p><p>~~~</p><p>Getting back to their makeshift home wasn’t too difficult until the very end. They had to swim down the river for a while before they found the tree that marked the point where they go water. Once there, it was a short hike to a cave where they’d taken shelter. John helped Gary out of the river and started looking around for any plants that could help them. He managed to pick up some moss to stem the blood oozing out of the wound while Gary trailed along behind him.</p><p>“I’m feeling kinda woozy,” Gary moaned as they got to the entrance of the cave.</p><p>He dropped to his knees by the fire pit with a shiver.</p><p>“Gary!” John shouted, clapping a hand over his mouth as he remembered the soldiers could be looking for them. “Gary, shit!”</p><p>“It hurts more now,” Gary moaned. “The water numbed it. I think the bullet’s still in me.”</p><p>John swallowed when he looked at the blood on the moss and Gary’s hands. Both of them had wanted to avoid something like this. Cold and hunger could be solved easier than a bullet wound. He knew things that could be done, but they didn’t have them and he wasn’t a good caregiver.</p><p>“We need to get you warm,” he stated, heading over to the pit where Gary had already prepared for a fire earlier that day. Never again would he complain about them being over-prepared for the night or morning. “You’re just cold, Gary. Just cold.”</p><p>Using his lighter to get the fire going, John helped Gary lie down. Rolling up the shirt, he was able to get a better look at the wound. Thankfully, it wasn’t up high in his lungs or heart. On the other hand, there was no exit wound, so Gary was right about the bullet being inside him. It couldn’t be left in there, which mean he had to get it out.</p><p>“Is it bad?” Gary whimpered.</p><p>“Well, you’re shot, and the bullet’s still in. I know enough about first aid to know it has to come out.”</p><p>Terror filled Gary’s face. “How? We don’t have anything sterile or clean!”</p><p>“Yeah, I fucking know!” John snapped a little more harshly than he meant to. “I just need to think!”</p><p>He felt himself start to shake a bit. Things had been so stressful lately. They’d been trapped in the past on this island for months. Every day was survival for them. Then the soldiers had come and brought new problems. Now this happened.</p><p>“I’m gonna get something. Stay there!” John ordered before scrambling out of the cave.</p><p>“John?”</p><p>As soon as he was outside, John leaned against the rock and exhaled. He had to do something. His healing magic sucked, so that was out. If they didn’t treat it, then infection would set in and Gary could…no, he wasn’t going to open that door. But like Gary had said, they had nothing clean or sterile by now. It wasn’t like he could just walk up the local shop on the island and get bandages and tweezers and whatever the hell else he needed…</p><p>Except they weren’t alone on the island. The soldiers had to have some kind of supplies he could steal. As risky as it was, it would be worth it to help Gary.</p><p>John ran back into the cave and dropped down beside Gary. “I have an idea.”</p><p>“Me too,” Gary told him. “You first.”</p><p>“We’re not alone on the island anymore,” John reminded him. “I can go back and steal supplies. They’re soldiers, they have to have something for combat.”</p><p>“No, no, no,” Gary shook his head. “It’s too dangerous. I know how we can get the bullet out without going there.”</p><p>“Look, it’ll be easy-”</p><p>But Gary was already babbling. “I made you save the whiskey. Use a little and clean it, break my glasses and use them to pull it out, and then use my jacket to bandage it.”</p><p>“I don’t know if your glasses are gonna be able to pull a bullet out. I’ll make a run for it. I won’t get caught. It’ll be okay.”</p><p>“We got caught earlier,” Gary grabbed his hand. “Don’t do it. Just do what I said. We’ll figure it out from there. That’s what we’ve done so far.”</p><p>He didn’t want to listen, but Gary’s caution was well-placed. Hopefully his idea would work. And if it didn’t, then he’d wait until Gary was asleep before going and stealing those supplies.</p><p>John sighed. “Okay. I’ll do it. You might want to bite down on something.”</p><p>They looked around a moment before finding Gary’s tie and stuffing it in his mouth. John grabbed the flask of whiskey and looked down at Gary.</p><p>“Are you ready?”</p><p>Gary nodded.</p><p>“Okay, just breathe,” he told himself and Gary.</p><p>He was going to hate every second of this.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. John and Gary, and House.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>somebodyhelpthenotdeadfreds asked: John and Gary, and House.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sooooo totally was running with the headcanon that the manor was somewhat sentient. It wasn't entirely wrong, but not it.</p><p>Anywho, I love the idea of Sentient House giving John and Gary love and hell.</p><p>Also, I recommend a listen of Ben Platt's Share Your Address before reading this. You won't regret it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“It’s a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be,” Gary murmured as he started up the steps to John’s house.</p><p>“Thought that too when I first came to it,” John told him. “I didn’t think I’d ever get left a manor. Then I figured out why I’d been left it.”</p><p>“And that was because…”</p><p>John stopped halfway up the steps. “I haven’t told you everything about this place. It’s not what you were probably expecting.”</p><p>Gary scoffed. “Yeah, look at this place. It’s old and massive and-”</p><p>“Not like that,” interrupted John. “The house is alive, Gary.”</p><p>“Okay.” Gary nodded before he stopped, the words catching up to him. “Wait, alive? What do you mean by alive?”</p><p>The exorcist paused to consider his words. “It can do things. Mess with the lights, open and shut doors on its own, makes stairs slip out from underneath you.”</p><p>Gary gaped at him. “It did that to you?”</p><p>“Yeah, but I’m fine. I should have told you earlier about this.”</p><p>“Probably so.”</p><p>“Are you still okay with moving in with me?”</p><p>“Hope you are, because my lease is up in three days,” Gary grinned. “As long as the House doesn’t try to kill me or you, I don’t have a problem with it. It’ll take getting used to. I’ve never really lived in a living house before.”</p><p>“You’ll be fine,” his boyfriend assured him. “Think of it as the Waverider. Just more stationary and more noisy.”</p><p>“If you say so.”</p><p>They resumed walking towards the front door. John pulled out an old-fashioned brass key, but the doors opened before he could put it inside the lock. Gary stepped back, but John kept going forward. Clenching his fists and shutting his eyes, Gary took a step forward and hoped the worst wouldn’t happen.</p><p>There was nothing. Suddenly, he felt quit stupid. Gary opened his eyes and sighed in relief. Still alive.</p><p>“House, that’s Gary,” John introduced. “My boyfriend. Be nice.”</p><p><em>Boyfriend</em>. They’d been together for a while but hearing that term always filled him with a little bit of joy. “Hello, House? Is it okay to call you that?”</p><p>From another room, he heard a television flicker on and the distinct word of ‘hello’ followed by ‘yes’.</p><p>“Oh yeah, House can control that,” John explained. “Surprised me the first time. I thought I stepped on something.”</p><p>“Good to know,” Gary nodded. “Can I not move everything in now? I just want to spend the night and see if this works out and the house doesn’t kill me in my sleep.”</p><p>“Sure,” John agreed. “But if House hasn’t killed me yet, then I think you’ll be fine.”</p><p>“He’s right,” came from the next room.</p><hr/><p>House hadn’t killed him during the night he slept over, so Gary felt better about staying there. There were more creaky floorboards and strange noises that night, but they weren’t unbearable. It did help to have John at his side too. All it was going to take was getting used to new things.</p><p>Two weeks after officially moving in, Gary had grown more used to living there. He hadn’t done much in terms of searching for a job, although he was doing more magic work with John. Something weird and supernatural came up, and Gary was there helping out in some way. It reminded him of his old job at the Bureau. He knew it was a dark path that he was walking down with John (he’d heard that speech half a dozen times back when they were still friends in the wake of Heyworld), but using magic to help save people with John….Gary didn’t think he could be happier.</p><p>House was like an extra roommate at that point. Mostly it kept to itself, but was occasionally intrusive. Gary hadn’t done too much to piss it off so far, which he viewed as a good thing. He did get a plate thrown at him once when he forgot to turn the stove off, but that was about it. John tended to get more scoldings from House, especially when he set drapes on fire. </p><p>“It wasn’t on purpose!” John yelled as he stomped on the drapes to beat out the flames while Gary tried to beat them out with his jacket. </p><p>The windows opened and slammed hard. “Idiot!” came from the television behind them.</p><p>“Maybe we shouldn’t have done it in here,” Gary suggested. “Outside could work?”</p><p>The channel changed. “No kidding.”</p><p>“Sorry, House,” Gary apologized. “I can try to find some new drapes. Or fix these ones.”</p><p>“Don’t bother,” said some grumpy cop on the screen before House shut the television off.</p><p>John patted Gary’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, love. We can go outside, or the cellar. There’s plenty of rooms in the house.”</p><p>“Fine,” Gary agreed. “As long as we don’t use the library again.”</p><p>“It was one book.”</p><p>“But a good book.”</p><p>John smiled. “You can see the value in just about anything, can’t you?”</p><p>“It’s not always easy, but I try,” he replied before John suddenly coughed. “You okay?”</p><p>“Fine, love. Just a tickle.”</p><p>They headed out of the room as Gary tried to think of a way to make it up to House for setting the drapes on fire.</p><hr/><p>“What the hell is this?”</p><p>Gary looked up from where he was putting the groceries away. John was staring at the dozens of bright magnetic letters covering the front of the fridge.</p><p>“Oh, those,” Gary shut the cabinet. “I picked them up for House to apologize. Figured it would be a better way of communication rather than using the TV.”</p><p>The letters rearranged on the front of the fridge to spell out ‘THANK YOU’ and Gary beamed back at John.</p><p>“Huh,” his boyfriend nodded. “Neat. Never would have thought of that.”</p><p>‘TRUE’</p><p>“Thanks a lot,” he mumbled to the floor, rubbing his throat. “Ugh.”</p><p>“Picked you up more cough drops,” Gary tossed the bag towards him. “I know you don’t want to, but you should see a doctor.”</p><p>‘YES’</p><p>“No,” John shook his head. “I’m fine. Probably just shouting too much during spells. You remember the wraith the other day?”</p><p>“Yeah, you were screaming,” Gary recollected. “I’m gonna go give my family a call quick. I’ll be right back.”</p><p>He gave John a quick peck on the lips before heading out the back door. House was great for a lot of things, except for cell reception. It was all the magical energy that messed with it. Once he was outside- no problems at all. But it was well worth it to have a life here with the man he loved and a house that was like a second cat.</p><hr/><p>‘TELL HIM’</p><p>John glared at the fridge. “I’m not taking orders from you.”</p><p>‘DUMBASS’</p><p>“Oh you swear now. Nice upgrade.”</p><p>“YOU HAVE A GOOD THING WITH HIM’</p><p>“I know,” John slumped into his seat at the table. “That’s the worst part.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos? Thoughts?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Sick Day (John)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anonymous asked: Constangreen plus sick day. What do the two do with each other when the other one is sick</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I broke this into two parts because I wanted to write each of them getting sick. What can I say, the world needs more Constangreen!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Flu season was the worst time of year, even for exorcists. Demons coupled with sick people plus exhaustion from magic was the worst combo. He had hoped he was going to avoid it this year, but then he and Gary helped saved some kids from a vengeful ghost. Too many runny noses and kids who couldn’t cough into their arms exposed him to the bug.</p><p>Still, there was work to do. Souls had escaped from hell and were on the loose across time. John wasn’t going to let a little cold stop him. Sure, his head hurt and his nose was starting to run, but he’d manage.</p><p>“John!” Gary shouted.</p><p>He shook his head and looked toward the other man. “Yeah?”</p><p>“Are you feeling okay?”</p><p>“Yeah, I’m fine,” John rasped, digging in his pocket for the tissue he’d been using to blow his nose. “Sorry, what were you saying?”</p><p>Gary’s eyebrows knit together. “You’re sick, aren’t you?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“You are,” Gary insisted. “Look, just go take a rest. I can handle looking up how to stop the souls from coming out of Hell.”</p><p>“I don’t need to rest,” John shook his head. “We have work to do.”</p><p>“You’re not going to remember a thing if you’re sick,” Gary told him. “You need to rest and hydrate and take it easy.”</p><p>“I have been hydrating.”</p><p>Gary narrowed his eyes. “One glass of water isn’t going to do it.”</p><p>“Gary, I’ll be fine,” John sighed. “I’ve worked and been sick at the same time before.”</p><p>“John, please go to bed. Or take a nap. At least just take a break.”</p><p>A nap did sound nice. Really nice in fact. BUt he wasn’t sure he could sleep with a runny nose and sore throat.</p><p>“Will you stop hounding me if I do?”</p><p>Gary considered it, then nodded. “You’ll feel better. Now go. I’ll keep reading.”</p><p>John sighed and walked over to the sofa. He dropped down onto the cushions and closed his eyes. Focusing on the turning of the pages, he did his best to just stay quiet and not sleep. Unfortunately, he lost that battle.</p><p>When he woke up, there was a blanket on top of him. On top of the coffee table was a bowl of hot soup, a mug of tea, and a note from Gary promising to be back soon from the store.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Sick Day (Gary)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anonymous asked: Constangreen plus sick day. What do the two do with each other when the other one is sick</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Like I said last chapter, I gave each of them a sick day. Take care of your health, people, especially these days.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Being sick sucked, so Gary did his best to avoid it at all costs. He made sure he got flu shots. Wherever he was working at the Bureau, he always kept his space clean and had bleach wipes on hand. And up until now, it had worked out fine.</p><p>Finally, he had succumbed to illness. He wasn’t sure how he’d gotten sick. There was a kid who’d sneezed on him in the grocery store and then there was the waiting in the rain for the bus. Whatever it was, Gary now had a cold. Which sucked because he couldn’t get days off yet at his new job and John was coming over for a date tonight. When he tried to call and cancel the latter, John didn’t pick up.</p><p>“Hey, John,” he coughed. “I’m not feeling great today. Think I caught a cold. I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to do date night. I’m feeling sick enough to just want to sleep and watch reruns and I don’t want you to get sick too. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”</p><p>Once he made the call, Gary dragged himself off to work. The day was miserable as he tried not to draw too much attention to himself and avoid Flora’s dirty looks whenever he blew his nose. The day felt even longer than normal. When it was finally time to go home, Gary was out of there as fast as he could. He was too happy to be back in his apartment and out of his suit into his pajamas. Tonight was supposed to be date night, but instead it would be tea and soup and Golden Girls reruns.</p><p>Two mugs of tea later, Gary heard his phone ring. He had just been about to sit down for dinner, so of course that would happen. With a sigh, he set his spoon back in the soup and picked up the phone. “Hello?”</p><p>“Hey, sunshine,” John answered. “I got your call.”</p><p>Gary sniffled. “You did? I’m sorry I had to cancel.”</p><p>“By the sound of you, I get it. It’s okay, Gare.”</p><p>“I feel bad about it,” Gary sighed. “We had a plan and I ruined it.”</p><p>“You didn’t,” John told him. “We can reschedule. Although if you want, we can still do a bit of a date and see each other.”</p><p>“I don’t want to get you sick.”</p><p>“And you won’t,” came a chuckle. “Look, I’m on the Waverider right now. Let me call you on that face thingy.”</p><p>“FaceTime?” Gary corrected. “Okay…sure.”</p><p>He hung up before John started calling on FaceTime. Gary answered and smiled. John was in his old room on the ship, grinning at him.</p><p>“So what were you planning to do after canceling?” John teased.</p><p>Gary looked over at where he’d been streaming Golden Girls on the television and turned the screen towards him. “Just watching reruns and feeling miserable.”</p><p>“Which episode? I can try and watch along with you.”</p><p>“You’d do that?”</p><p>“Well, wouldn’t want to miss date night.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos? Thoughts?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. Sugar Rush (ft Cassie)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>kat-cornwell asked: Constangreen (+ Cassie) - sugar rush.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Some fluff after John and Gary rescued Cassie from the cult but before they officially adopt her. Go read FirenzeSuns's fic 'I Can Make You Whole' for more Cassie origins and angst.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When John and Gary stumbled across the cult trying to summon a demon, both had hoped to get through it with as little bloodshed as possible. Unfortunately, by the time they had sent the demon back to hell, the only survivor was the eight year old girl who had been intended as the host. They could have called the police, but John wanted to make sure this girl, Cassie, got to her next living relatives safely. Now, Gary and him were just trying to get her to a grandmother that they didn’t even was alive or not.</p>
<p>Traveling together had been easy for them, but having a young girl with them changing things. They had to make sure Cassie was getting enough to eat after being starved in the cult and could sleep and that she didn’t get too bored. A sketchbook and pencils Gary had picked up from a small hobby shop solved the last one easy. But they didn’t think about normal childhood experiences until they pulled into a new city and saw people walking around in Halloween costumes.</p>
<p>“It’s Halloween already?” Gary exclaimed as they drove past an entourage of Disney villains. “Should have brought my costume with me.”</p>
<p>Cassie’s hands were pressed against the window of car, eyes agape. “How come they’re dressed up?”</p>
<p>John frowned. “It’s Halloween.”</p>
<p>“What’s that?”</p>
<p>“You don’t know what-” Gary began before stopping. “Your parents never took you to other houses trick-or-treating for candy?”</p>
<p>Cassie shook her head. “We weren’t allowed to have candy. “</p>
<p>“Even before your parents took you to the cult?”</p>
<p>She nodded. “People came to the house in costumes sometimes. Mama shouted at them and tried to curse them.”</p>
<p>Gary exchanged a look with John, and he nodded back. Something had to be done about it.</p>
<p>“Halloween’s a holiday here,” Gary explained. “It’s really interesting how it started. You see, there was this old legend that-“</p>
<p>“Maybe give her the basics, love,” John suggested, making Gary redden and Cassie smile a little.</p>
<p>“Right, so Halloween is now a day where kids dress up in costumes and go from house to house in their neighborhood. They ring the doorbell, say “Trick or Treat!”, and then get some candy. By the end of the night, they have a ton of candy and usually eat a lot of it and have a sugar rush.”</p>
<p>“Sugar rush?”</p>
<p>“When you have too much sugar and run all over the place,” supplied John. “What a crap cult, they wouldn’t let you have Halloween.”</p>
<p>That made Cassie smile a little again. “It sounds like fun. Can we do it?”</p>
<p>The fact that she had grown to trust them this much since they’d rescued him still took John’s breath away. She had been angry and silent when they first recsued her but clingy. Now, in the span of a few days, she was smiling more with them and actually talking. John had tried not to get attached and warned Gary the same since they were trying to get her back to her grandmother (who may or may not still be alive), but times like this made it hard. He was not a kid person, but Cassie wasn’t an ordinary kid anymore.</p>
<p>“John’s the one in charge of distance,” Gary answered Cassie’s question. “You’d have to ask him if we have time.”</p>
<p>“And I think we can stop here for the day,” John told them. “We’ve been traveling for days. A break won’t be so bad, and I’m sure your grandmother will still be there if we’re a day late.”</p>
<p>The reminder that Cassie wasn’t going to be with them forever potentially hung over Gary and Cassie’s heads as their smiles dropped a little, but then Gary asked Cassie what she wanted to dress up as. He started rambling off dozens of suggestions that he had somehow already thought of. Cassie seemed to already have her idea in mind.</p>
<p>“I want to be John,” she decided, pointing at him. “He’s cool.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, he is,” Gary grinned. “You know, I think we can make you a mini John Constantine in time for tonigh when we go trick or treating.”</p>
<p>“Can I get a sugar rush?”</p>
<p>“I think you’ll be okay without one,” Gary told her. “Don’t want ruin your first candy experience with too much. Plus, sometimes you throw up after a sugar rush.”</p>
<p>“Ew.”</p>
<p>John snickered. There had to be a Green family story behind that tidbit Gary had just dropped on her.</p>
<p>A few hours later, they had managed to get Cassie dressed as John to the best of their ability and a short visit to a superstore. They’d gotten her a long sleeved white shirt and put John’s necktie around her. John had also given her his coat that Gary had found a way to pin up so it didn’t drag. Cassie had also gotten a plastic pumpkin for her candy and was holding a Ken doll in a suit that they’d bought after Cassie had insisted “If I’m John, I need a Gary!”.</p>
<p>“Ready to trick or treat?” Gary asked as they headed to the first house.</p>
<p>Cassie nodded. She watched a group of kids go up to the house, get their candy, and then leave. Once they were gone, she broke away from John and Gary in a run towards the house.</p>
<p>“They grow up so fast,” Gary tried to joke, but somehow it fell flat. They’d really gotten too attached to Cassie.</p>
<p>Halfway up the path, Cassie turned around. “Can you guys come with me?”</p>
<p>John nodded and headed up to her with Gary in tow.</p>
<p>If her grandmother was still alive, then she better give Cassie the life she deserved after all the shit she’d gone through.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos? Comments?</p>
<p>If neither, then go read I Can Make You Whole if you haven't already.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0033"><h2>33. “Never trust a man whose smile steals the breath right from your lungs.”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>moonlightcanary asked: if ur doing fic prompts uhhh “Never trust a man whose smile steals the breath right from your lungs.” + constangreen</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Mortal Khanbat said the Constangreen fandom could have a little treat. So I decided to write some more.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>John set down his empty glass hard on the table. “Shit.”</p><p>Ray looked over at the other man. John’s blissful mood that he’d had after coming back to life had started dropping off steadily. After Gary had gone to pack away the rest of the food, it had started dropping more and more. The old John Constantine was coming back, which was a shame. Ray had liked the John who had come back to life with a smile and a plan and determination and hope.</p><p>“You want to talk about what’s happening?” Ray finally asked as John started on  his second glass.</p><p>“Not really,” John muttered. “But I have a feeling you won’t let it go.”</p><p>Ray shook his head. “Nope. Something’s bugging you. I want to be able to help you with something. So…out with it?”</p><p>The warlock sighed and rubbed his eyes. “It’s something I heard once. Never trust a man whose smile steals the breath right from your lungs. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately.”</p><p>“That sounds like someone giving advice, but bad advice?” Ray frowned. “That’s what Nate’s smile is like and I trust him. Behrad too.”</p><p>“Of course you do,” snarked John. “Except that’s you. With me, those words…it’s more than trust. It’s…getting closer with someone else.”</p><p>Ray tilted his head. “Closer? Is this you and me closer or Desmond closer?”</p><p>The look John gave him confirmed his suspicions, so Ray pressed on. “You said you’ve been thinking about it lately and….oh. This is about Gary, isn’t it?”</p><p>“You said it, not me,” John replied, taking another sip.</p><p>Ray waited, raising an eyebrow.</p><p>“Alright, yeah, it’s about Gary.”</p><p>“You’re falling for Gary,” he realized. “That’s…something. Well, each to their own, I guess.”</p><p>“We can’t all have a fairy godmother to fall in love with,” John snapped back. “But when I was dying, I was thinking about Gary. The past few months together have been…good. Really good. Then they were about to end in an instant. I didn’t want to leave him alone.”</p><p>“Is that why you left him everything?”</p><p>John nodded. “Save for some trinkets, he got it all. I hoped it would lessen the blow of losing me.”</p><p>“But then you came back to life and kissed him, then shut him down.”</p><p>“Because with what’s about to come, he might be right in the line of fire. And if Astra knows about him, she’ll target him too. You know Gary, he’s a marshmallow. If he dies, that’s my fault. All because I fell for that beautiful smile.”</p><p>Both men were silent for a few moments. Ray pondered over his words. John drank some more.</p><p>“Look, I can’t tell you how to live your life,” Ray finally said. “Life’s too short, that’s what you told me when I was talking about Nora. You also told me that you have too many regrets. Why add another?”</p><p>The other man nodded along.</p><p>“So, is Gary worth it? Is he really worth loving, even with everything that you face?”</p><p>John exhaled. “I think he is.”</p><p>“Great!”</p><p>“But he’s going to get hurt sticking around like everyone else. Look at what happened last year.”</p><p>“We made a lot of mistakes last year,” said Ray. “It’s Gary’s choice if he wants to stay with you. But if you think he’s worth, then go get him, John. You have enough regrets. Don’t make this another one.”</p><p>The warlock chuckled. “You give a hell of a speech, big man.”</p><p>“Learned from what I had to hear,” he grinned. “I’m going to go update the Legends that you’re still around. You stay here and rest. I think there’s enough time to take away a regret.”</p><p>John turned his head towards the kitchen that Gary was coming back from. “I’ll work on that.”</p><hr/><p>Gary was quiet when he entered the dining room. He was disappointed that Ray had left without saying goodbye, but asked if John wanted to play a game of chess. John agreed, watching Gary set up the pieces. In the back of his head, the nasty little voice reminded him what kind of person he was, that Gary would be more blood on his hands in the end. He already even had that with the nipple and Neron.</p><p>But then he remembered Ray’s words. What he had told Ray was getting thrown right back at him. If he took the step, he could live with one less regret. The step was a big one though.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” John finally spoke up as he moved the knight.</p><p>“You already apologized earlier,” Gary replied. “You were in pain. I was…being me. It’s okay.”</p><p>John shook his head. “No, it’s not. And it’s not for tonight. It’s been for pushing you away all the time.”</p><p>“I get it,” Gary’s eyes were on the board instead of meeting his. “I know, I come on too strong. I always have. I’m too much.”</p><p>“Sometimes…but you always mean the best. You always look to see the best, Gary. Hearing that someone sees something good in you after a lifetime of screw-ups…do you know how that feels?”</p><p>Gary shrugged. “Well, uh…sort of?”</p><p>“It’s overwhelming. And yeah, you see the best too much, but I see it too little.”</p><p>Gary’s hand was on the queen. “Where is this going?”</p><p>“I told Ray that I had nothing but regrets,” John said as Gary made his move. “He told me that maybe I should think about having one less.”</p><p>His hand moved his pawn out, leaving his king exposed. Gary stared at the board, then back up at him.</p><p>“I don’t know how much time I have left, but I want to spend what I do have with you.”</p><p>Gary leaned back. “This isn’t a joke? You’re not going to throw it back in my face?”</p><p>“No,” John shook his head. “It’s real. One less regret to die with.”</p><p>A shy smile flickered across Gary’s face. “Okay. So what to you want to do?”</p><p>“I feel like celebrating being alive again. Care to join me?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Make what you will of what happened next.</p><p>Kudos? Comments?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0034"><h2>34. Green Paint</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>cluelessrebel1988 asked: minific thing: Gary Green/John Constantine, N</p><p>N. The Color Green</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A bit of fluff....I do write a lot of angst but I can write nice things.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>John cracked the lid off the paint can and cocked his head at the liquid inside. “Green?”</p><p>“Yeah, that’s what Nora said they were going with,” Gary said as he rolled up his sleeves. “She wanted something other than blue and the yellows were all weird, so Ray and her compromised on green.”</p><p>The warlock nodded. “And why are we doing this again, squire?”</p><p>“Because you promised that we’d help them out with their new house,” Gary reminded him and started pouring the paint into a tray. “They’ve got the walls primed, so we just have to paint them. Without magic.”</p><p>“Ugh,” John picked up one of the brushes. “Well, whatever the couple says goes. Let’s just get it over with so they cam go home.”</p><p>“Yeah, except you’re going to use the wrong tool,” Gary raised the paint roller. “This is going to make things go faster.”</p><p>“I can get the corners with this and you use that.”</p><p>Gary snorted as he rolled paint onto the tool. “And leave me to do all the work while you have a small paintbrush?”</p><p>“The thought never crossed my mind, but we do only have one roller. And you seem to be in charge of it.”</p><p>“Then you can have it.”</p><p>John turned around to tease Gary again, only to run right into the roller Gary was holding out. Green paint was now all over the front of his shirt. His boyfriend’s mouth dropped open.</p><p>“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Gary whimpered. “I didn’t mean to!”</p><p>“Me neither,” John bent down to dip his brush in the green paint. “So sorry.”</p><p>He flicked the brush at Gary, spattering paint on his shirt and glasses. Gary looked shocked for a moment, but raised the paint roller and got the whole of John’s front.</p><p>“Okay, G-man, now it’s on!” John shouted, lunging out with the paintbrush.</p><p>Ten minutes later, Ray came up to find the two covered in paint and working on the room. One wall was painted. John had the roller and Gary was getting the corners with the small brush.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ta-Da!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0035"><h2>35. Night at the Museum</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>somebodyhelpthenotdeadfreds asked: Constangreen + T</p><p>T. An obscure AU</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I don't know how to describe this. It's like two parts thieves to one part Indiana Jones.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>John checked his watch once he approached the museum. He had made the deadline he’d set to get there. Avoiding the cameras was a little more tricky than it had been when he’d practiced in the past few weeks, but he had been doing it at dusk. </p><p>The door was the next step. He’d made copies of the keys three days ago while bumping into a museum guard. An hour later, John had been out the door with a pocketful of wax copies and the guard had finally found his keys outside the Renaissance wing. It took him two tries to get the door open, but third time was the charm.</p><p>This was going to be the biggest heist yet tonight. But there was extra security surrounding the exhibition. That posed a challenge. It would be worth it though to get the cursed jewels out and back to where they belonged.</p><p>John navigated his way towards the locker room. Turning on his flashlight, he walked down the first row, searching for the signal. When he didn’t see it, John proceeded to the next row. That was where he saw the small blue tab sticking out of a locker. Walking up to it, he knocked on the door three times.</p><p>A ceiling tile above him slid to the side and Gary dropped out onto the floor. “Took you long enough.”</p><p>“You had the easy part,” John told him. “Just sit here and wait for me to come. Is that stuff inside?”</p><p>“It’s all in there,” Gary slid up the latch and opened the door to pull out the black duffel. “Also I’m pretty sure there was a rat up there with me. Is that part of the curse the jewels have?”</p><p>“Nah,” John shook his head. “Just means they’re slacking on pest control. Come on, we have some rings to steal.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos? Comments?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0036"><h2>36. “How many coffees is that?”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anonymous asked: 24. “How many coffees is that?” cconstantgreen please .</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>How do I describe this? Well, I was watching some John Mulaney and went 'well, let's run with the mood he's put me in'</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gary watched as John walked over the Keurig Gary had insisted on getting for the House. “How many coffees is that?”</p><p>“You try having a toddler who refuses to go to bed?” John grumbled as he rested his head on the counter. “I know she’s not going to go down easy tonight.”</p><p>“UNCA JOHN, COME ON!” a shriek comes from the living room.</p><p>“We’ll be there in a moment,” John shouted back, then looked down at the slow trickle pouring into the cup. “Come on, you.”</p><p>“Talking isn’t going to hurry it up,” Gary smiled as he turned the faucet off and set the last dish in to dry. “I can’t say the same for Natalie.”</p><p>“She’s all Ray, that one.”</p><p>“She really is,” Gary agreed. “Hey, I can put her to bed tonight. I’ve got experience with toddlers. I dealt with my little brother growing up, and I deal with dragging you to bed enough of the time now.”</p><p>John snorted a chuckle, right into the hot coffee. “You’re on the couch.”</p><p>“Are you banishing me from the bedroom?” </p><p>“Wha’s banishing?” Natalie Palmer stomped into the kitchen. “You said you were coming.”</p><p>“And we are,” John promised. “Uncle Gary is just calling me a toddler.”</p><p>“Mama calls you a big baby.”</p><p>Gary clapped a hand over his mouth to stop from laughing out loud.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos? Comments?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0037"><h2>37. “Squeeze my hand if you can hear me.”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anonymous asked:</p><p>25 w/ john &amp; gary (can be platonic or romantic, whatever u prefer)</p><p>25. “Squeeze my hand if you can hear me.”</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I don't know how my brain got to this...but it did. I think I was thinking of As Above As Below during this fic.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>This had to be the tightest spot John had ever been stuck in. When the earth started shaking, the end of the tunnel had gone dark. He had managed to find Mick and Charlie, so that was somewhat of a relief. But they were cut off from the rest of the Legends. How the hell were they supposed to get free from an unknown network of tunnels.</p><p>Then Charlie asked where Gary was. He had been down there with them. John remembered that he had gone investigating in the same direction where the tunnel had gone dark. He might still be out there.</p><p>Guided by a ball of fire, the trio made their way towards the darkened end. John felt his heartbeat speeding up with each minute that went by. They hadn’t found Gary yet, and his mind was going to some pretty dark places. By the looks of Charlie and Mick, they were thinking that too.</p><p>“There!” Charlie pointed forward towards the edge of the collapse.</p><p>John lifted the fire closer to see the stone blockade in front of them. Right next to it was someone lying face down on the ground. There was no doubt that it was Gary once John saw the blue coat. However, it didn’t take away the nerves building up inside when he saw the blood on the side of his head.</p><p>“He’s hurt,” John dropped the fireball, plunging them into near darkness if not for Charlie’s flashlight. “Gary!”</p><p>Mick bent down next to him and rolled him over. There was a definite rise and fall of the chest. He was still breathing. That was one small relief. </p><p>“Gary,” John sighed, too relieved. “Can you hear us?”</p><p>No response.</p><p>“Wake up, dweeb,” Mick shouted, earning a kick from Charlie.</p><p>John laced his fingers with Gary’s. “C’mon. Squeeze my hand if you can hear me.”</p><p>Seconds ticked by. There was nothing.</p><p>
  <em>No no no, please no. He has to be okay. Please let him be okay, please let him be okay, please please please.</em>
</p><p>Then there was gentle pressure and a moan from Gary.</p><p>The earth rumbled above them again. The stones that had blocked their path were trembling.</p><p>“We need to get him to better light down there and take a look at him,” Charlie said. “He’s going to need Gideon when we make it out of this.”</p><p>John nodded, not bothering to correct that ‘when’ to an ‘if’. “Let’s do it.”</p><p>Mick picked Gary up. John reluctantly let his hand fall from Gary’s. As long as he was still breathing, John could still breathe.</p><p>The rest of the Legends better find them pretty damn fast.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos? Comments? Requests?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0038"><h2>38. “Oh my god! You’re in love with him!”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anonymous asked: 24 and Constantine/Gary</p><p>@firesoulstuff requested this one too.</p><p>24. “Oh my god! You’re in love with him!”</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Featuring Mona being...well, Mona.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I need you to wake up. You know that right?”</p><p>Mona stopped short in the hallway outside the med bay. Quietly, she backtracked a few steps so she could see inside the room. Gary was still unconscious in the chair, the same he’d been for the past few hours when they’d found him in the manor. John was sprawled in chair right beside him, hands clasped in his lap.</p><p>Mona was thankful for enhanced hearing, but still crept a little closer to listen to John.</p><p>“I haven’t been the greatest to you,” she heard him say. “Ever since Des, I’ve been awful to you. No matter what happened, you still stuck it out with me. Hell, you even stood up a few times when I got too nasty.”</p><p>John chuckled a little at that before his expression grew sober. “But you always saw through every awful thing I said. I saw that they hurt you and they’d make you back up, but not once did you run. You knew I was trying to push you away so you could be safe while I punished myself by being miserable. Proves you really are too good for me, Gary. I mean that as a compliment.”</p><p>“Oh my god!” Mona gasped too loudly. “You’re in love with him!”</p><p>John whirled towards her. “How long have you been standing there?”</p><p>“Long enough to get that you love Gary,” she smirked as she entered the room. “That’s really sweet. How long have you felt that way?”</p><p>“Long enough to know he’d get hurt if he stuck around too long,” John answered shortly. “And Gary’s not doing so great, but thanks for asking about that first.”</p><p>The barbed words stung, but she had a feeling John was doing that pushing away people thing. “Sorry. I just got excited. What happened anyways? I got here to help out just after he was brought in and no one’s told me the full story.”</p><p>John sank back into his chair. “I pushed too hard against him this time. Told him that he wasn’t going to be helpful getting the next Loom piece with Charlie’s sister on our ass, and he’d be better off guarding the ones we have back at the House. There were enough enchantments there and he’s good with magic. I didn’t think I’d have anything to worry about.”</p><p>He looked down at Gary. Mona followed his eyes and noticed the bandage wrapped around his torso and the bruises on his face. “We got back to move the pieces to the ship and found they were gone. Gary was in the parlor, bleeding out on the rug. Someone had beaten the hell outta him before stabbing him.”</p><p>“Oh,” Mona glanced up at the ceiling. “Gideon, is he going to be okay?”</p><p>“I’m afraid I’m not sure, Ms. Wu,” the AI replied. “His injuries are severe. I’ve done all I can to heal the worst, but it’s up to his body now to decide whether or not he wakes up.”</p><p>“If I hadn’t been such an ass and let him come along, this wouldn’t have happened,” John muttered angrily. “It’s all my fault he’s like this.”</p><p>“No,” Mona shook her head. “But also yes? You have been kind of mean to him. He loves you, John. I’ve always seen it. I know you have a lot of darkness in your past, but you’re showing how much you care for him staying at his side, waiting for him to wake up. Let him know that when he wakes up. Don’t hurt him with words. Just be honest about how you feel.”</p><p>“And I’m supposed to take the advice of a romance writer who can become a kaupe?”</p><p>“Wolfie wouldn’t say it as nice as me,” she told him. “And I know when it’s meant to be. You’re both weird enough for each other to make sense.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ta-da!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0039"><h2>39. “You have no idea who I am, do you?”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>somebodyhelpthenotdeadfreds asked: Constangreen + 46</p><p>46. “You have no idea who I am, do you?”</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So background on this- I got roped into a theory that Gary's father is Vandal Savage and fell down that rabbit hole. I was writing this prompt around that theory in a way.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>John left the bridge as soon as he heard the news about the loom pieces. He knew exactly where Gary would be hiding on the ship. It was the same place always, no matter where he was. Sure enough, the bathroom door was locked when he tried it.</p><p>“Gary, open up,” John called out, pounding on the door.</p><p>Silence was the only response. That meant he wasn’t crying, but he wasn’t sure he heard either.</p><p>“Come on, it’s just me out here,” he said. “It’s only me. Just let me in.”</p><p>The door opened up. John entered and closed it behind him. Gary was sitting on the counter, swiping at his eyes. He didn’t even face John after he closed the door behind them.</p><p>“Gideon did that, not me,” he mumbled.</p><p>“I’m glad she did. Gary, you can’t blame yourself for this.”</p><p>“Except I can. I handed over the loom pieces just like that.”</p><p>John shook his head. “He had you in a tight spot and a knife against Zari’s throat. You didn’t have time to think and you acted on your heart.”</p><p>“I should have been stronger,” Gary murmured.</p><p>“Gary, you-”</p><p>“You have no idea who I am, do you?” he cried out, squeezing his fist tight. “You don’t know what I did!”</p><p>John walked over and sat up on the sinks beside Gary. “I do. Ava told me everything before I came here. We’ve both known for a while.”</p><p>Gary shook his head. “How? There’s no way-”</p><p>“She found your blacked out file and then got Gideon to find out the rest,” John explained. “Filled me in on it when we first found out he was in the same time period. You could have told me yourself.”</p><p>“I didn’t want you to know,” Gary admitted. “I didn’t want anyone to because I was afraid that they would see me different, knowing I’m his son. After Neron, I knew they definitely would. They’d see me just like him.”</p><p> “But you’re not,” John promised. “I know what you are like, and you are everything he isn’t. That’s why you handed over the pieces. You care more about a human life than pieces to the Loom of Fate.”</p><p>“Charlie’s sisters nearly have all the pieces now because of me though.”</p><p>“But we still have Zari because of you,” John reminded him, patting his shoulder. “You made the right choice.”</p><p>“I’ve been trying to tell myself that, but I let him get away,” Gary told him. “He’ll be back not just for the Legends, but me too.”</p><p>“Well, we’ll face him together if he does,” John moved his hand down to take Gary’s. “And we’ll get those pieces back and send your father back to hell.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos? Thoughts? Reviews? Anything?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0040"><h2>40. “Please, shut up so I can kiss you.”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anonymous asked: 35 and constangreen?</p><p>35. “Please, shut up so I can kiss you.”</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“John?”</p><p>The warlock groaned and opened his eyes. He was sitting in the medical bay of the Waverider. The Legends were surrounding him, either sitting or standing. John sat up slowly, looking at all of them. Moments ago, they had all been in ancient Egypt at the mercy of a Fate. Now everyone was here except…</p><p>“Where’s Gary?” he mumbled, sitting up. There was a bandage on his arm where he’d been cut earlier.</p><p>“Over there,” Zari nodded towards the other bed. “He did a whole bunch of magic and got us all back here. Then he passed out.”</p><p>“It was pretty impressive,” Sara agreed. “Startled the hell out of Charlie’s sister.”</p><p>“She underestimates human too much,” the Fate crossed their arms with a smirk. “It was still a big show though.”</p><p>John slid off the bed and walked over to where Gary was laying unconscious and looked at the screen that showed Gary’s vitals. He didn’t understand much, but it seemed pretty good since nothing was flashing or in red. “He’ll be fine, right?”</p><p>“Gideon says he’s just exhausted,” Sara told him, approaching him from behind. “He did transport us all from a tomb to the ship with magic. He’ll wake up when he wakes up.”</p><p>As if on cue, Gary groaned and his hand twitched. His eyes slowly cracked open. John felt himself start to smile.</p><p>“Hey,” Gary croaked.</p><p>“First magic burnout,” John chuckled as Gary started to sit upright. “You were bound to have one at some point. Glad you decided to pass out after you got us back to the ship. But I’m proud of you.”</p><p>“John-”</p><p>“Gary, look at this!” John gestured to all the Legends. “You held off a <em>Fate</em>. You portaled all of us back to the Waverider. You got us safe. You were the hero!”</p><p>“John-”</p><p>“You were brilliant, Gary! I’m proud of you!”</p><p>“John!” Gary pushed himself upright with a slight grimace. “Please, shut up so I can kiss you!”</p><p>John stopped talked and leaned forward to kiss him. “You’re amazing, Gary.”</p><p>“I learned from the best,” Gary coughed a little. “And I was going to kiss you.”</p><p>“Figure out who kisses who on your own time,” Sara shook her head as she pushed the others out of the room. “So we’ll give you some space.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Comments and kudos are appreciated!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0041"><h2>41. “Can you two please get a room?”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anonymous asked: 26 for Gary and a particular british warlock</p>
<p>26. “Can you two please get a room?”</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Contrary to what people say, I can write nice things.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Ow ow ow.”</p>
<p>“If you stay still, then I can get all of this sooner,” Gary told John as he dabbed at the cut over his eyebrow. “You’re lucky you didn’t lose an eye.”</p>
<p>“I know,” he sighed, trying to stay still as Gary finished cleaning him up. “Never seen a demon with that many limbs before. Or tentacles.”</p>
<p>Gary threw the gauze away and opened the box of butterfly strips. “I didn’t even know it was possible. But we got the job done in the end and we’re home now. Everybody wins.”</p>
<p>“For now until the next one comes,” John muttered.</p>
<p>“Don’t be so pessimistic,” Gary chided as he applied the strips to the cut. “Good thing we got dinner ready ahead of time.”</p>
<p>“Well, if we don’t have to prepare that,” John got out of the seat and moved closer to Gary. “We can have a little fun before dinner?”</p>
<p>“Not too much,” Gary murmured in between the kisses John started to give him. “Cassie’ll be down soon.”</p>
<p>“I think we’ll hear her first before-”</p>
<p>“Ewwww,” Cassie groaned as she passed by the door. “Can you two please get a room?”</p>
<p>John pulled back and chuckled. “Thought you were still upstairs reading.”</p>
<p>“I got bored and I decided to come down for water,” their daughter said as she entered the kitchen. “I thought you two would be gone longer.”</p>
<p>“We handled the demon pretty fast,” Gary explained. “Dinner’s already ready, but we’ll heat it up a little later.”</p>
<p>“You sure you don’t want me to go to Aunt Ava and Aunt Sara’s, Dad?” Cassie grinned. “I can let you two have alone time then.”</p>
<p>“No way,” John shook his head. “Come on, we’re celebrating.”</p>
<p>“Celebrating what?”</p>
<p>“A good semester report with no visits to the principal’s office,” Gary smiled, kissing his daughter’s head on his way to get the food out of the fridge. “We’re proud of you.”</p>
<p>“We are,” John agreed as she sat down in Gary’s old seat. “And Mrs. Hastings is relieved.”</p>
<p>“She told me,” Cassie replied. “I told her I had two great dads.”</p>
<p>“Damn right you do,” John winked at Gary, who blushed and nearly dropped the pan.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos and comments are always nice, and I do take requests</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0042"><h2>42. “Come over here and make me.”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>steelwater asked: V + Constangreen.</p><p>22.  “Come over here and make me.”</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I wrote a ficlet on my tumblr where the Legends got deaged and kind had a spurt of "What the hell, let's add a little more to that." So the orignal is here (https://agentmarymargaretskitz.tumblr.com/post/614499187815563264/imagine-the-legends-looking-after-a-deaged-gary) and this one kinda continues from it. I'm debating making it a full fic, but I should probably work on the ones I have right now....</p><p>John, Gary, and Zari are around 9, Ava is 11.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The woman’s fingers reached towards him slowly. John whimpered and kept backing up from them. The closer they got, the bonier and decayed they became. He felt dizzy as the shriveled index finger just barely missed his nose. There was only so much space he had to crawl away before he hit the wall.</p><p>“Come here, you,” the woman hissed. “Just hand me the piece of the loom and I’ll put you back to who you were.”</p><p>John was confused by what that meant. He’d woken up in a strange place that wasn’t home. Normally he would have been a little happy with that if he wasn’t so alone. That was before this weird lady had started chasing him around like a game of hide and seek, screeching for him to give her the loom piece, whatever that was.</p><p>Suddenly the floor below him popped up. Two kids emerged from the floor- a boy and a girl. The girl was bigger than him and the other boy and looked mad. However, John didn’t miss the boy pulling out a pocketknife. He tensed for a second until the boy stepped protectively in front of him.</p><p>“John?” the girl looked down at him. “Oh crap, we thought you were the baby!”</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>“Stand aside!” the woman snarled at the three children.</p><p>“Come over here and make me!” the boy shouted back, pushing his glasses up and holding out his knife.</p><p>“Pathetic.”</p><p>The woman lunged forward and the little boy swung at her with the knife. She screamed and John saw blood. The girl picked him and dropped him into the hole she’d come out of. Moments later, she dropped the other boy, now white-faced and looking quite sick, in too before jumping in.</p><p>“Gary, take John back now!” she ordered, pulling the covering over them.</p><p>The other boy, Gary, stayed still for a moment. John reached out on an impulse and squeezed his hand. It seemed to jolt Gary out of his state and he started crawling down through a vent. John followed after him, crawling through the dark until he bumped into Gary pushing up a part of the floor.</p><p>“You’re safe now,” Gary’s voice trembled as he helped John up into a library. “Ava’s gonna come soon.”</p><p>“Thanks,” John sat on the carpet as Gary climbed out too. There were a couple of other kids in the library, including one holding a gurgling baby. “Thanks for saving me and stabbing the old witch.”</p><p>“You stabbed a witch?” a girl jumped down from a desk to sit next to Gary. John frowned at her. “Cool!”</p><p>Gary’s shoulders slumped. “I didn’t want to do it, Zari.”</p><p>“So why did you?” John asked, scooting closer around the opening towards Gary.</p><p>He fidgeted with his hands and shrugged. “She was gonna hurt you and I didn’t want it happen. So I hurt her and now I feel bad.”</p><p>Zari patted his shoulder. “Was it the lady chasing us when we found my brother?”</p><p>He nodded.</p><p>“Well, I owe you now,” John told him. “You saved my life. I’ll save yours.”</p><p>Gary gave him a tiny smile. “Thanks. You don’t have to.”</p><p>“I want to though.”</p><p>“Okay,” Gary looked down at the floor. “Ava hasn’t come back yet. Wasn’t she right behind you?”</p><p>John nodded and looked down at the floor. He peeked upside down into the tunnel they’d come out of. </p><p>There was no sign of her.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos and comments are always grand.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0043"><h2>43. “I wanted him to meet my family.”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>firesoulstuff asked: Constangreen: 6. “I wanted him to meet my family.”</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Takes place in an alternate universe with no powers and heroes.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Break-ups never got easier.</p><p>Gary was midway through the second season of some trashy reality show when someone started knocking on his door. After getting Cleo off his lap and making sure he smelled somewhat decent, he walked over and opened up the door. Of course John was standing on the other side with a smirk and a shopping bag. This would have been a dream normally, but now Gary didn’t know how he felt.</p><p>“Ava told me about Dean. Can I come in?”</p><p>Gary nodded and moved to the side so he could come in. Cleo padded over and batted at the edges of John’s coat, happy to have some new company in the apartment again. Gary shut the door and moved over to open the curtains to let some light in. John had taken a seat on the couch and Gary flopped down beside him.</p><p>“I thought I’d finally met someone,” Gary sighed. “We were getting along. He wanted me to move in with him. Then I screwed it up.”</p><p>“How?”</p><p>“I wanted him to meet my family.”</p><p>“You mentioned that at game night,” John hummed. “How’d it go?”</p><p>“I thought it went well. We had a nice dinner with my family. Then three days later, he’s telling me we aren’t meant for each other. That he’s felt that way for a while and he figured it would be for the best if we just made a clean break.”</p><p>“Well, he could have been an asshole and drawn it out,” John offered, trying to be a positive force for once like the other man did so often for him.</p><p>“It was in the middle of dinner here. He packed up all his stuff afterwards and left.”</p><p>“Ouch.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Gary nodded pensively. “Thanks for stopping by though. I don’t mean to rant to you so much.”</p><p>“It’s okay,” John shrugged, pulling over the bag he’d arrived with. “You haven’t been showing up to stuff lately. The others were getting worried, me included.”</p><p>“I just don’t feel like company lately.”</p><p>“I can leave if you want.”</p><p>“No,” Gary shook his head. “Unless you want to leave. You don’t have to stick around just for me.”</p><p>“Well, Cleo is here too, but yeah, I came for you. Dean was an asshole who was too good for, Gary. The right one’s out there somewhere.”</p><p>“I know, but I probably need a map to find him,” Gary moaned, falling over into one of the pillows on the couch.</p><p>“Don’t have a map, but I picked up some Chinese,” John passed him a container. “Number 7. Dumplings are somewhere in here. And I brought booze.”</p><p>“You brought this for me?”</p><p>“Pretty sure Cleo doesn’t drink,” John smirked as the cat hopped onto his lap. “I figure you want some space from the others for a while, but I…you need a little company.”</p><p>Gary smiled. “Thanks.”</p><p>“No problem. You’ve had my ass all the times I’ve crashed here, I owe you.”</p><p>“Friends don’t owe each other,” Gary told him as John passed him a beer. “Hey, you want to watch something?”</p><p>“Whatever you’ve got on now looks good and trashy.”</p><p>“I’ve just been insulting their fashion sense,” Gary mumbled as he hit play. “Felt kinda snarky.”</p><p>“Sounds like fun.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Comments and kudos are always appreciated.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0044"><h2>44. “She’s at the hospital. I—I don’t know what happened.”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>husbandpirates said: Constangreen + Cassie: “She’s at the hospital. I—I don’t know what happened.”</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy birthday, Flor! I hope it's a great one filled with entertainment of some kind and great things!</p>
<p>I wrote this a few months ago and forgot to post it. But enjoy John and Gary being dads!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The call from Cassie’s school came in just as Gary was about to head off to lunch. At first he was expecting a disciplinary issue, but then the secretary started talking about the hospital and that they had to send Cassie there immediately. Gary felt his brain slow down from the information before it went into overdrive again. He managed to get out the words ‘Cassie’ and ‘hospital’ to Ava when she asked why he was hyperventilating, to which she told him to just go. On his way out, he mad a call to John, hoping that his phone was on right now.</p>
<p>“Hello, sunshine,” came smoothly over the line, making Gary sigh in relief. “How’s work?”</p>
<p>“Cassie hospital,” he all but yelled into the phone, still in a panic.</p>
<p>John didn’t respond immediately. When he finally asked what, Gary could hear the panic in his voice.</p>
<p>“She’s at the hospital. I-I don’t know what happened.”</p>
<p>More silence on the other end.</p>
<p>“John? Are you there?”</p>
<p>“I’m here, love,” John replied. “I’m on my way to the hospital right now. Did they say why they sent her?”</p>
<p>“I stopped listening after they said she collapsed outside the bathroom,” Gary told him, punching the coordinates into his time courier. “I’ll call them back and see if they can tell me anything else.”</p>
<p>“You do that. I’ll meet you there. And Gary?”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Whatever it is, she’s going to be okay. We’ll do anything we can.”</p>
<p>Gary nodded. “I know. See you soon.”</p>
<p>Five minutes later, Gary was waiting outside the hospital as John climbed out of a moving car. Watching that happen made Gary forget how to breath for a moment. The last thing he needed was the love of his life in the hospital too. And Chas knew John enough to slow down if he was going to do something like that.</p>
<p>“I’ll call you later,” John promised his friend before running over to Gary. “Have you seen her yet?”</p>
<p>Gary shook his head as they entered the hospital. “I’ve been waiting for you. The school told me she had been asking to go to the bathroom a lot. When they were going to lunch, Cassie just dropped to the ground. The nurse said she’d been in pain for quite a while.”</p>
<p>John sighed. “And here I thought a demon had found her.”</p>
<p>“I don’t think it was, she always wears that charm you made her,” Gary reminded him as they started walked towards the emergency room (a route they knew too well from John, Cassie, and Gary on one occasion). “The number of mornings that we’ve been late to school because she was searching for it.”</p>
<p>John smiled as a nurse approached them. “You wouldn’t happen to be Cassandra’s parents, would you?”</p>
<p>“Yes, we’re Cassie’s fathers,” Gary nodded. “Gary Green, John Constantine. We got a call from the school that she was here?”</p>
<p>“She just told me that you were coming in,” the nurse chuckled as she checked their IDs. “Then you two walked in. Heck of a coincidence. She’s just down on that last bed over there.”</p>
<p>“Can you tell us what’s wrong with her?” John asked nervously. “The school wouldn’t tell us anything.”</p>
<p>“We’re still working that out. It could be appendicitis, but we need the doctor to confirm it.”</p>
<p>John relaxed a little. Gary reached over and rubbed his shoulder. “No demons.”</p>
<p>“No demons. But her appendix.”</p>
<p>“If it is, they’ll get it out. It’s a good thing that they caught it. Remember, she’ll be okay.”</p>
<p>“Right.”</p>
<p>“Hey, Cassie,” the nurse smiled as she pulled back a curtain. “Look who’s here.”</p>
<p>Their daughter was curled up on the bed wearing a hospital gown. Her backpack was on the floor along with a bag of her clothes. The fifth Harry Potter was in her hands. As soon as she saw them, Cassie put down the book and sat upright. The movement looked painful even though she still managed a smile at them.</p>
<p>“Dad, Dad,” she greeted. “Good news. You don’t have to pick me up from school today and fight the pick-up line.”</p>
<p>John beat Gary over to the hospital bed. “I’d rather fight that line and Brenda’s oversixed minivan.”</p>
<p>“How are you feeling?” Gary asked as Cassie leaned against John.</p>
<p>Her face scrunched up. “It hurts.”</p>
<p>“I’ll bet,” Gary gave her hand a squeeze. “But the doctor’s on the way. The nurse says it might be appendicitis.”</p>
<p>“Yay,” was their daughter’s sarcastic reply as she sank down onto the bed, gripping her book.</p>
<p>“They’ll take care of you,” John promised. “And if they don’t, then your dad and I will. Right, Gary?”</p>
<p>“Right.”</p>
<p>John tapped his finger against the cover. “What part did you get to?”</p>
<p>“Mr. Weasley’s taking Harry to the Ministry for his trial. I was trying to read to distract from the pain. It didn’t work.”</p>
<p>“How about your dad gives it a shot until the doc comes?” John suggested.</p>
<p>Cassie looked over to Gary. “Please, Dad?”</p>
<p>“I think I can do that,” Gary pulled up one of the chairs in the room and sat down. “And your father hasn’t read it, so now we can make sure he hears it.”</p>
<p>“I’ve seen the movies, sunshine.”</p>
<p>“Doesn’t count,” Cassie and Gary said at the same time before Gary started to read aloud.</p>
<p>As he did, she started to relax a little more. The doctor arrived a few minuyes later, confirmed she had appendicitis and needed surgery right away, and started getting her prepared. John and Gary sat by her until she had to go in. They each gave her a hug and kiss before the nurse rolled her away.</p>
<p>“She’s going to be okay,” John said aloud as they watched her go.</p>
<p>Gary nodded. “She will. She always will.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ta-Da!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0045"><h2>45. Morning Cuddle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anonymous said: Domestic Constangreen?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Last week was pretty awesome with that Constangreen hug, although I think my curse is starting to take hold. Still, I'm gonna keep writing. Maybe I'll get to 100 with this collection.</p><p>Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There were many places and situations John had woken up in. Several warm beds were among them, as were the contrast of cold alleys. He had times where he was the first to leave and others where he was waking up alone. Wakings had been peaceful, but far more of them came from nightmares with a scream dying in his throat and a clammy feeling all over.</p><p>Today was one of the better days of waking up. There was no upcoming job, so he was able to sleep in. The sheets around him formed a warm cocoon that he wasn’t quite ready to get out of. When John managed to open his eyes, sunlight was flitering in through the window onto the bed in pale and colored hues from the stained glass. He could see some dust particles spinning in the light and turned away from them.</p><p>What he turned to made him want to leave the bed even less. Gary was curled up next to him, still fast asleep. His face was half pressed against the pillow and his mouth was open, a little drool on his pillow. John had to chuckle a little. No doubt he’d have an awful bedhead later and he’d be embarassed about the drool. </p><p>Gary looked so relaxed as his chest rose and fell. When he was awake, he was always a bundle of nerves and anxiety and spurts of confidence. Never able to get quite comfortable with where he was. Right now, he seemed to be at peace. There wasn’t any worry on his face. John wondered if he looked the same way when he was asleep before the nightmares started hitting him.</p><p>A few more moments ticked by and John closed his eyes again. He wasn’t sure if five seconds or fifteen minutes had passed, but Gary was starting to stir away when he reopened them. He cracked a smile at his apprentice as he brought a hand up to rub the sleep from his eyes.</p><p>“Morning,” he muttered in a hoarse voice.</p><p>“Morning to you too,” John shot him a grin. “You sleep well?”</p><p>“Uh-huh,” Gary rubbed at his eyes. “Did we sleep in?”</p><p>John nodded. “It’s for the best. We’ve been working hard the last few weeks and you deserve some sleep.”</p><p>“Thanks,” Gary turned away to reach for his glasses. “Huh, it’s eight.”</p><p>“Eight?” John settled back under the warm sheets. “Want to stay in a little longer?”</p><p>“Just you or,” Gary paused, halfway out of bed. “Just us?”</p><p>“Us, now come here.”</p><p>John grasped Gary’s wrist and pulled him back in. Gary let out a giggle as he curled up in the blankets. That sound just made John smile a little more. Mornings like this were very few and far between. He was going to enojy every bit of this while he could.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ta-Da! I don't know when we'll get our next Constangreen moment, but I hope this piece of fic is enough to tide everyone over for a while.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0046"><h2>46. "Why didn't you tell me?"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>somebodyhelpthenotdeadfreds said: Constangreen + "Why didn't you tell me?"</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Am I writing another thing where Savage is Gary's father? Absolutely. I am stuck to this theory and the pain it brings.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was nice enough that the Legends let him stay on the ship after everything that just happened, even if it was in the brig. At least he wasn’t tied up in a chair like the last time he’d been here. Still, Gary knew that he was a prisoner. He could have cut and run, and instead he chose to stay behind. It was the only way he could make a case for innocence.</p><p>Sara had already seen him once in the past three days. That had been for an interrogation, although she’d mentioned holding his father in the same cell a few years ago before they delivered him to the Vanishing Point. Gary hadn’t been able to miss it. A subtle connection, but it was still there. She saw Vandal Savage when she looked at him. The very thing he’d always feared people would see him as.</p><p>He was lying on the bench when the doors to the room slid open. Gary looked over to watch John enter the room. His friend and mentor was watching him as he came to stand outside the doors. He didn’t ask for Gideon to open them. Gary didn’t blame him.</p><p>Finally, John sighed. “They don’t want to let you out yet. Not until Savage resurfaces.”</p><p>Gary nodded. He understood it. “I guess saying I’m innocent isn’t going to help.”</p><p>“Sorry, squire,” John gave his head a shake. “Why didn’t you tell me? I told you plenty of things about myself I’m ashamed of.”</p><p>“You did,” Gary replied, standing up. “But I knew as soon as I told you, any of you, the way you looked at me would change. Especially after what I did with Neron. And it has.”</p><p>“Because you didn’t tell anyone,” John fired back. “Dammit, Gary! You could have told me. I wish you had! I’d have been able to vouch for you!”</p><p>“What good would that have done?”</p><p>“I don’t know!” John shouted. “I don’t know, Gary! And I don’t know what to do now! I don’t know how to help you!”</p><p>Gary approached the glass separating them. “I don’t know either. But is it too late to tell...everything?”</p><p>John stared at him. “I don’t think it’d hurt. And I think I’d like to know what made you Gary Green.”</p><p>“It’s not a pretty story.”</p><p>“And you think mine is?” John snorted. “I can handle whatever darkness the son of Vandal Savage is holding inside.”</p><p>“Well, then you may want to get a seat,” Gary advised. “It’s a long story.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>In a few days, I'm hopefully dropping another chapter of Please Don't Come Back. If you want pain, pain will be delivered.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0047"><h2>47. "Come back to me."</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>somebodyhelpthenotdeadfreds said: Constangreen + "Come back to me."</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Season 6 speculation. TW blood and needles.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Where is he?” Behrad demanded. “Where is the human you took?!”</p>
<p>The alien was struggling to speak with the pressure Behrad was putting on his chest with the air totem. “Lab...thr...ee.”</p>
<p>John was already running down the hall, passing by rooms with symbols that became numbers on them. He didn’t like having to slow down to see what each symbol became, because they weren’t in the right order. But when he finally found Lab Three, John froze in front of the window. Gary was lying on a table. </p>
<p>“I found him!” he shouted to Behrad, muttering a quick incantation to open the door. </p>
<p>It slid open and John ran in. He hoped he wasn’t too late to save him. It was because of Gary that they’d gotten another piece of the Thanagarian’s invasion plan. The same stupid move he’d pulled to distract them had also gotten him kidnapped. Now, they were going to get him out of the enemy’s clutches.</p>
<p>“Gary!” he shouted, stopping at his side. “Gary, can you hear me?”</p>
<p>Gary didn’t respond. His skin was paler than normal, his glasses were gone, and someone had shaved his head. John saw a needle in his arm, a tube connecting it to a bag that was filling with blood. They were taking his blood. The Thanagarians hadn’t taken Sara’s, so why were they taking Gary’s?</p>
<p>“John? Is he alive?”</p>
<p>He looked back to see Behrad entering the room. Quickly, he removed the needle from Gary. Grabbing something that looked like a small towel, he pressed that on Gary’s arm. He didn’t realize his hands were shaking until Behrad covered them with his own. John let him take over and looked for any response from Gary.</p>
<p>“Gary?” he called, leaning down. “Come back to me, Gary. You hear me?”</p>
<p>Nothing. John pressed his hands to the sides of Gary’s neck, feeling for a pulse. He thought he found a faint one and sighed in relief. There was no telling how much blood the aliens had taken from him. John had a feeling it was more than that one bag.</p>
<p>“Come on, Gary,” John urged, his thumb tracing Gary’s cheek. “Open your eyes.”</p>
<p>Nothing.</p>
<p>“Come on,” John begged. “Please. I need to know you hear me.”</p>
<p>“John, we have to get him out of here.”</p>
<p>“I have to know if he’s awake! Give me something, Gary. Anything!”</p>
<p>His lips parted and a breath slipped out. Then came a shallow inhale and his eyes cracked open.</p>
<p>“John?” came a soft gasp.</p>
<p>Chuckling, John nodded. “You gave a scare, Gare.”</p>
<p>“Here...”</p>
<p>“Yeah, we’re here,” John told him. “No way I’m leaving you here after everything.”</p>
<p>“Uh-huh....” Gary’s eyes were fluttering closed.</p>
<p>Behrad’s hand closed over John’s shoulder. “We gotta get him back to the Waverider.”</p>
<p>They were still on a spaceship. Right. Half the mission was done, now they needed to return.</p>
<p>“Hold on, Gary,” John helped him loop his arm over Behrad’s shoulder. “We’re getting you home.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ta-daaaaa!</p>
<p>Kudos and comments are appreciated.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0048"><h2>48. "You're jealous."</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>somebodyhelpthenotdeadfreds asked: Constangreen + "You're jealous."</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Some season 6 AU? IDK</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>John glared over at Gary as he laughed at Behrad’s joke. They were wasting time the longer they stayed on comms with the team about their stakeout. John had said all he needed to say. But now Behrad had come on and Gary was yammering on with him about something John couldn’t make heads or tails of.</p><p>“So if you’re saying that, then how does it make sense in the sequel series?” Behrad was asking.</p><p>“Ahhh...”</p><p>“He’ll tell you later,” John said, shutting off the link. </p><p>“Hey!” Gary frowned at him. “What was that?”</p><p>“You’re wasting time,” John kicked at a few leaves. “You should be looking for the captain of the guard, not going on about some fantasy show.”</p><p>Gary sighed and leaned against the wall. “Well, you’re looking too, right?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“So what’s your problem with me talking to Behrad.”</p><p>“Do you see me wasting time talking to Zari?” John shot back.</p><p>Gary shifted. “Well, you two broke it off last week, right? Unless you got back together. If you did, that’s, you know, really great. And I’m happy for you.”</p><p>“We’re not. Still doesn’t mean you get to take up all the time and leave me to do the dirty work.”</p><p>“Wow, I have no idea what that’s like.”</p><p>The sarcastic barb stung a little. But John rolled his eyes.</p><p>“You don’t have to take everything out on me,” Gary continued. “You’re jealous. I can see it. Just because you can’t talk to my ex doesn’t mean I don’t get to talk  to my friend.”</p><p>“I can talk to my exes,” John snapped. “I talk to you!”</p><p>“Ordering someone around isn’t talking to them!” Gary glared. “I can’t believe I ever liked you!”</p><p>John leaned towards him. “You were just willing to fall for the first person who gave you a compliment.”</p><p>Gary leaned in too, not backing down. “And you just wanted to feel special before going back to self pity!”</p><p>“So we both agree we were a mistake!” John shouted.</p><p>“Yes!” yelled Gary.</p><p>“Fine!”</p><p>“Good!”</p><p>Gary was pretty close now. His face was only inches from John’s, waiting for him to make the next move. But he had no plans to back down. He would just wait it out for Gary to fall back. So John leaned in closer, but Gary ended up mirroring him. </p><p>The next thing John knew, he had lunged forward and kissed him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos and comments are always appreciated!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0049"><h2>49. "You... you... you love me? Or did I just imagine you say that?"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>steelwater asked: Constangreen - "You... you... you love me? Or did I just imagine you say that?"</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So I blew through the second season of The Umbrella Academy in a day, and I feel reinvigorated to do some writing. It also gave me some fun plot ideas.....</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“How the hell is he still alive?’</p>
<p>“Gideon, run a scan.”</p>
<p>“Shit shit shit.”</p>
<p>“Stay with us.”</p>
<p>“You can’t go. I love you.”</p>
<p>“Gary!”</p>
<p>“Please wake up. Who else is going to be a pain in my ass?”</p>
<p>“I’ll take him back. Let him have a place to recover in.”</p>
<p>Voices whispered around him for so long. Gary wanted to open his eyes and figure out who was talking. Trying to do so hurt, just like everything else on his body if he tried to move. Being still was easy, so he just stayed like that as he drifted in and out of consciousness.</p>
<p>When he could finally peel his eyelids open, Gary didn’t recognize where he was for a few moments. Then he recognized his room in John’s manor, although it technically belonged to Astra now. Seated at the windowsill with Gary’s batted copy of <em>The Hobbit </em>was John. He glanced up and shut the book.</p>
<p>“So you finally found your way back to the world of the living, eh?” John grinned at him. “You gave everyone a scare.”</p>
<p>“Huh?” Gary winced as he tried to reach for his glasses. “What ha-happened?”</p>
<p>John’s eyes flickered down to the floor before going back up to meet Gary’s. “You don’t remember?”</p>
<p>“There was a fire. It was magic. I was running into it. And I did something…”</p>
<p>“Yeah, some old magic,” John nodded. “Those spells should have killed you. Not even I’d risk doing them.”</p>
<p>Gary shook his head. “I can’t remember why?”</p>
<p>“It took a lot out of you. You were incredible”</p>
<p>Gary smiled, feeling his eyes grow heavy again. John seemed to notice and started walking away. He heard him murmur something, but only caught ‘I’ and ‘you’. He’d heard someone say they loved him, but he couldn’t remember who.</p>
<p>“You… you… you love me?” Gary murmured, trying to sit up. “Or did I just imagine you say that?”</p>
<p>John stopped at the door. He had one hand on the knob, ready to leave. Gary tried to sit up, but his skin felt like it was being ripped away with the movement. So he laid back down again.</p>
<p>“John?”</p>
<p>“Just get some rest, okay? I’ll bring you something in a bit.”</p>
<p>He exited quickly, shutting the door behind him. Gary rested his head on the pillow, staring at the sunlight on the ceiling. It reminded him of the library his father had in the house. The days he’d hide out among the shelves, curled up with <em>The Hobbit </em>or a book to learn a new language.</p>
<p>As he drifted off to sleep, he felt like he’d been there recently, walking among dusty shelves and ducking under cobwebs. Or had that just been a nightmare?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ta da!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0050"><h2>50. When the sun sets, we’re both the same, Half in the shadows, Half burned in flames</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>steelwater asked: Constangreen + 💫</p><p>Beautiful Crime- Tamer</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Something I meant to post this weekend, but forgot to until now. oops!</p><p>TW: mentions of self harm</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>None of this was ever supposed to happen.</p><p>John knew the mess of a man he was, always had and always would. Misfortune attracted him and followed him like a bad penny. He always believed that if he let himself be soft for Gary and let it in, it would end in tragedy. Gary smiled even when people cursed him and always tried to look on the bright side. </p><p>Of course it had been because he was hiding something.</p><p>Gary reluctantly took the outstretched hand John offered to pull him up. Whatever scars he’d gotten removed by the Bureau’s tech were back now. Before he let Gary’s hand go, John traced one of the scars inside of his wrist with a finger. What else was hiding under the rest of his clothes? </p><p>“I’m sorry,” Gary lamented. “I should have told you who I was. You told me everything about you.”</p><p>“Yeah, I did. All the good and the foul.”</p><p>“And I just lied. John, I’m sorry. I was terrified.”</p><p>John didn’t know what to say. “That explains why you were such a quick learner. You already had some stuff from your mum. Just built up on it with everything I taught you.”</p><p>“She wasn’t a good person. I thought I could be different, not use what she taught me. But they were going to kill you!”</p><p>“Maybe you should have let them!” John snapped. “Instead you exposed yourself to who knows how much more dark magic! You could have died!”</p><p>“So why didn’t you let me?”</p><p>John opened his mouth, then closed it. He needed to find the right words.</p><p>“John?” Gary asked nervously.</p><p>Slowly, the words came to him. “Because I can’t lose anyone else.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ta da!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0051"><h2>51. "You’ve got a little something on your nose, here let me get it...”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>S6 speculation- Gary does something to save his friends. For once, John is there to catch him when he falls.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>noradarhkpalmer said: Constangreen: “You’ve got a little something on your nose, here let me get it...”</p>
<p>Sooooo we might actually be getting Gary's backstory for S6 and I'm really hoping for something juicy (if he ends up being alien, I don't think I'd be as entertained by it as....other theories. Not that I wouldn't be entertained). But my muse decided to grab me by the pants and said to take a break from my massive stack of work to write a little something for this month.</p>
<p>This prompt was probably meant to be fluffy but uhhhhh oops?</p>
<p>Hope you all enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>John stepped out from behind the door, eyes fixed on Gary. The other man was on his knees, panting in and out. The knives that Astra had shoved at him were still in his hands. He was gripping them so tightly that John could see his hands trembling as he approached. Gary’s head was bowed, hiding his face.</p>
<p>Stepping over the two bodies, John could feel the eyes of the other Legends on him and Gary. They’d all seen what he could do, what he had been hiding for so long. Watching him slice and tear through the enemies who threatened his friends was both beautiful and terrifying. It was beautiful because he cared so much to let himself fight, yet terrifying with how quickly it had happened.</p>
<p>“Gary,” murmured John, bending down to look at him. “You alright?”</p>
<p>Gary lifted his head up to face him. His face was blotchy from the tears falling down his cheeks. Blood was spattered across his face and hands. Guilt flooded John. After he’d told them everything about his past, they’d gone and dredged up everything he’d pushed down. It’d been effective, but at what cost?</p>
<p>“You’ve got a little something on your nose,” John told him, reaching out. “Here, let me get it...”</p>
<p>He wiped away the spatters of crimson on Gary’s nose the best that he could. A few streaks were left behind and it somehow drew more attention to the blood on his glasses and cheek. It was enough for now. Then John decided to take care of the knives. He slowly pried Gary’s shaking hands open so they clattered to the metal floor. Gary flinched a touch when he did that.</p>
<p>“I’m just like him....” Gary trailed off.</p>
<p>“No,” John shook his head. “No, no, no. You’re nothing like him.”</p>
<p>“I just killed-”</p>
<p>“I know you did. We all saw. But it was them or us. You were protecting the team.”</p>
<p>Gary took off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes. “Doesn’t make it right.”</p>
<p>“Maybe not,” John stood back up and held out a hand. “But I’m alive because of you.”</p>
<p>Once, Gary would have been gleeful and hugging him for saying that. In turn, John knew he would have whined about being fussed over. But this time, Gary was solemn as he took the hand and let John help him up. There was no trace of his usual bright smile. Somehow, it made the world a little darker.</p>
<p>John sighed and pulled Gary in for a hug, wrapping his arms around him as tight as he could. It couldn’t make up for everything he’d done to him. It wouldn’t take away everything that Gary had just done. But maybe, it was right to do this for this moment.</p>
<p>Gary was hesitant before hugging back and letting out a strangled sob.</p>
<p>John just clung on a little tighter.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Only 9 more months until S6??? And juicy content?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Reviews and kudos are always appreciated.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0052"><h2>52. Coming Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>somebodyhelpthenotdeadfreds asked: I'll take any Constangreen/Constangreen with Cassie scraps you want to give me (love you so much, thank you)</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I just got really hit with some feels last night when I took a drive and they reached the point of Taylor-Swift-2020-album-feels. So I decided to sit down and write some good old family fluff with an established relationship and an appearance of Cassie.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Exhaustion was consuming Gary steadily. Today had been a worse day than the previous ones. His father had actually made an appearance with his new croonies. Trauma for his childhood had boiled to the surface. He’d nearly lost everything he loved….or did everything he loved nearly lose him?</p><p>John’s hand gripped his shoulder steadily. “Let’s go home, love.”</p><p>“Yeah,” he agreed, letting his hand rest on top of his husband’s. “I need to see her.”</p><p>Home wasn’t the Waverider, but the place they’d moved into after leaving the Logue manor. Somehow, it still had an enchanted charm laying dormant even before John had set foot inside. When John opened the portal, Gary smiled at the sight of the warm lights from the chandelier and wall fixtures. It was warm and comforting and welcoming. </p><p>They stepped through together and Gary exhaled as the cool metal floor of the Waverider became worn carpet. He pulled off his jacket and set it on the hook by the door. John tossed his at it and missed completely. The light fixtures flickered at him in what Gary knew was frustration.</p><p>“It’s been a long day,” he explained aloud. </p><p>In the other room, the noise of the TV flicking on preceded the call of “Well, you’re home now.”</p><p>Gary smiled and turned to John. “What were we planning for dinner tonight?”</p><p>“We didn’t have a plan, and I don’t feel up for cooking. Order in?”</p><p>“Yeah, sounds good,” Gary nodded, rubbing at his eyes. Thankfully, there were no more tears left to cry.</p><p>“Gary.”</p><p>He looked back to John, who had drawn closer to cup his hand on Gary’s cheek.</p><p>“We survived today,” his husband reminded him. “We got away. And you’re still here.”</p><p>“I almost wasn’t,” Gary murmured. “And I wasn’t ready to go. I’m just glad Mick and you showed up.”</p><p>“I wasn’t ready to lose you.”</p><p>Dammit, maybe there were a few more tears left to cry.</p><p>“Dad?”</p><p>They both looked up towards the staircase. Cassie was standing on the landing, staring at them. A moment passed before she started bounding down the stairs towards them. She flung her arms around both of them quickly. Gary coughed as he wrapped an arm around her. Cassie was eleven now, quickly approaching teenage years and the age of getting embarassed by her parents. Her coming up and hugging them like this was a moment to hold onto.</p><p>“Are you okay?” she asked. “You two said you’d be back before supper.”</p><p>“Things ran a little longer than we thought,” John explained. “And a lot tougher.”</p><p>Cassie nodded. “But you’re back and you’re alive. That’s what always matters, right?”</p><p>“Right, Cass,” Gary chuckled as she let her arms fall back. For the first time, he noticed the dirt on her hands. “Have you been in the greenhouse?”</p><p>“Someone has to take care of it. I think the mint’s ready to harvest and dry. Wanna see?”</p><p>Gary nodded. After he and John placed the order for phone on the app, the followed Cassie towards the greenhouse. Gary held back slightly, looking at this family he had now. All of them had come together with jagged edges, be them on the surface or repressed, and found a way to fit together. It never escaped his mind how lucky he was to have this.</p><p>He would always find a way home to his family.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And there you go!</p><p>Kudos and comments are always appreciated.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ever have a prompt? Drop it in the comments or in my inbox on tumblr @agentmarymargaretskitz</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>